Pokemon: The Wandering Hero
by theImaginatorAK47
Summary: Enter the world of Pokémon, where heroes are made and champions rise! One Champion in particular; a man who travels endlessly throughout the Pokémon world with the goal of helping others in need.
1. Chapter 1: Mr Striker

**Ah, Pokémon… such majestic and wonderful creatures, they are. True, some are more destructive than others, but that is only in their nature, especially when they are defending themselves or others.**

**Most of us Trainers understand this. The Rangers know it as well, which is why they protect Pokémon from harm.**

**Pokémon live their lives in peace. Those who choose to travel with us see it as an honor, either that or they see us as worthy travelling companions. It is a mutual choice between Trainer and Pokémon to travel together, grow together, and live together.**

**Yet there are some… who choose to ignore this.**

**Those who see Pokémon as tools, weapons even; those who see Pokémon as no more than prizes or money; those who use them for achieving great power or creating mass destruction, all for their own personal gain.**

**And they have the audacity to claim it's for the greater good…**

**People like Team Rocket, Team Magma, Team Aqua, and Team Galactic… all who have been defeated by the infamous Ash Ketchum and his allies. Villains such as Zero, Pokémon Hunter Jay, and the Iron-Masked Marauder, have been locked away or defeated for good, and even others beyond them.**

**Evil's existence is dwindling.**

**But it is not so easily put down…**

* * *

The crowd was cheering him on from the crowded stadium, the roar of their cheers ringing in his ears. He had just defeated Cynthia, Champion of the Sinnoh League. Her prized Garchomp had done its best, he could not deny this. It had put up an excellent fight against his own, beating it right back to him in defeat, but it was no match for his well-trained Torterra.

They met at the center of the battlefield. He bowed to show his respect, then got up and shook her hand.

"You fought valiantly, Cynthia. Your efforts showed your glorious care for your Pokémon," he said, his voice echoing across the stadium from the hovering cameras receiving his voice. "I would gladly accept the title of Champion, but that position in the League is rightfully yours. I shall remain on my journeys as the Wandering Hero. You must remain where you are, as were you chosen to be."

Cynthia smiled, her eyes sparkling with joy and affection. He wasn't quite sure, but it looked to him as if she was…

Blushing…

She was about to say something, but was interrupted by…

The camera?

Off to his left, a camera had hovered close to catch the conversation. And all of a sudden, it started…

Beeping?

A subtle _beep-beep! beep-beep!_ was emitting from the camera lens, which didn't look like a camera lens at all. It looked like…

"A watch face?" Cynthia asked aloud. The new Champion stood thinking for a moment. Then it hit him.

"I get it," he said, and pushed a button on the side.

It was his Poketch. The alarm was going off.

"I get it, I get it," he muttered as he shut it off. "Time to wake up." He got out of his tent and stretched. There were some rain clouds in the distance, and he could see a group of Tailow flying the opposite direction. "You guys be careful, you hear? If that thundercloud gets over you, get to shelter as soon as possible!" he shouted to them. They cried in response and went on their way.

Jethro Striker was a living legend throughout the world. Locally from the Hoenn Region, he and his primary Pokémon Blaziken traveled around the globe. They were admired and respected by Trainers and Pokémon alike. He was most famous not only for defeating the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and recently Sinnoh Leagues, but for traveling throughout the world and helping anyone with anything along the way. He was more than happy to accept challenges from any Trainer, even if they were full of themselves or in over their heads. He would always give kind words of wisdom or advice after a match. He made several friends along the way, and never forgot them.

As he finished packing his tent away, Jethro looked back at the thundercloud. The rumbling sound of thunder was unmistakable… and all too familiar.  
"Hello, Zapdos," he said, "it's been awhile." He was certain that the legendary bird Pokémon of lightning was in the thundercloud somewhere, watching the world below. The distant cry he heard a few moments later confirmed it. Jethro smiled to himself and double-checked his gear after packing the tent away.  
"Okay, tent, backpack, Poketch, Poké Nav, Pokémon, multi-tool… sword, cooking supplies, medicine, yeh, deh-deh, deh-deh… shoulder armor… shoulder armor… where'd I… oh, here they are… I believe that's it." He looked down the trail ahead of him. "Another new day," he said. "Let's get to it."

The rain had started to come down rather hard, but, as always, Jethro was prepared. He pulled out his jacket and put it on, pulling his hood up to stay warm. He then brought out his umbrella and continued his journey. As he made his way down the trail, he saw a group of Shellos gathered in a small hole in the trunk of a tree. He smiled and waved, and they smiled back. Jethro felt a little warmer inside every time a Pokémon smiled back.

A while after meeting the Shellos, Jethro met up with another group, this one a bit familiar.

"I see you took my advice, Tailow! Keeping dry, are we?" he asked the Tiny Swallow Pokémon. They chattered to him, and one flew down to him and perched on his left shoulder. "Well, hello, little one," Jethro greeted, "you look concerned… not to mention a little wet. Something on your mind?" The Tailow pointed to the tree his friends were perched in and told Jethro its worries. "You have a point… trees aren't exactly the safest place to be in a thunderstorm… yes, moving would be a good idea, but I'm not sure as to where. All the nearby crevices in the cliffs seem to be occupied. Let me think…"

A flash of lightning streaked across the sky, the thunder rattling the tree. The Tailow were severely startled, squawking and flapping wildly.

"Calm down, little ones, you're alright!" he tried to reassure them. He looked up at the sky.

"Zapdos must've moved on," he said aloud. Then an idea hit him.

"Torterra, assistance please," he said, as he called out his large friend. Torterra stood beside Jethro, looking at him with its usual friendly smile. "You wouldn't mind if these Tailow took refuge in your tree to wait out this storm, would you?" he asked his friend.

"Torterra," replied the large Grass- and Ground-Type as it shook its head, as if to say, 'I don't mind at all'. Jethro smiled.

"Thank you, my friend. Alright, Tailow, let's go!" he said. The Tailow on his shoulder flew to Torterra's tree, inspected it, and cried out to its friends the okay. They flew from their tree to Torterra's in an organized line, one following the other. One Tailow lingered back, shaking. Jethro reached up, extending his hand.

"No need to be afraid, little guy. This storm won't last forever. It'll be alright, my friend and I will take care of you," he reassured. The little Tailow looked at Jethro and then at Torterra. Torterra smiled and nodded, and Tailow hopped into Jethro's hand. "Ooh, you're shivering something fierce, aren't you? If you want, you can stay in my jacket's chest pocket for a while." The little Tailow nodded, and Jethro lowered the little one down to his pocket. Tailow hopped in, snuggled up, and within seconds, was fast asleep. Jethro looked at Torterra, who chuckled and shook its head.

"Oh, come on, I know you think it's cute," Jethro said. Torterra rolled its eyes at him. "Come on, fess up, you know it's cute," Jethro persisted.

Torterra hung its head. _"Fine, I admit it, it's cute… you don't have to rub it in, ya know."_

Jethro laughed softly. "Well, how else am I supposed to know, Torterra?" he asked.

No, Jethro's Pokémon do not talk human. In fact, he merely understands their language.

*in other words, he is a translator… much like Team Rocket's loudmouth Meowth… in a way…*

After the storm had passed, most of the Tailow flew off into the afternoon. A few remained behind, seeing as though Jethro was going to the next Pokémon Center down the road, and they needed a bit of care from Nurse Joy. Jethro agreed to stay and make sure they were taken care of, and then continue on his journey as soon as they all regained flight.

The doors opened wide to the traveling group. Jethro and Torterra walked up to Nurse Joy, who was standing, as usual, behind the front counter. Her eyebrows rose the second she saw them.

"Jethro Striker! It's an honor, sir!" she said as she bowed in respect.

"Oh, please, Nurse Joy, you're embarrassing me," Jethro said. "Now, I usually stop by these Centers for my own benefit, but this time, it's for some friends of mine. You can help these Tailow, of course?"

"Right away, Mr. Striker! Follow me," Joy said and, along with her Blissey, carried the Tailow from Torterra's tree to the back room for healing. Jethro turned to his Torterra.

"Make sure no one, and I mean no one, gets through, alright?" he ordered. Torterra nodded its head and stood in front of the door.

Jethro pursued Nurse Joy to the back, carrying the Tailow from his jacket pocket carefully in his hands.

"You know, I can take care of that one for you," Nurse Joy said over her shoulder.

"If it's all the same to you, I'd like to care for this one myself," Jethro replied.

"I understand," Joy replied. Jethro looked down at the Tailow in his hands. It was very cold, and hardly breathing. Jethro got an idea.

"Burner, I'll need your help with this one," he said. The Poké Ball highest on his backpack strap opened, revealing his prime Pokémon, a Blaziken. The martial arts master of

Jethro's entire arsenal stood proudly, holding the door for the three of them. "You got any feathers that you don't need anymore?" Jethro asked.

_"Don't I always?"_ Blaziken retorted.

"Good, now follow me," Jethro said, and they both followed the Pokémon Center caretakers.

"Is there a table we can use by ourselves, Nurse Joy?"

"Right over there, Jethro."

"Thank you. Let's get to it, then, Burner."

Jethro gently set the ill Tailow down on the table and got out his medical kit.

_"Let's just hope you've brushed up on your feather transplanting lately, or else this may not work,"_ Blaziken muttered.

"Thank you, Burner, for that wonderful reminder," Jethro muttered back. "Feather, please, nice and warm." Blaziken pulled a somewhat loose feather from its abdomen and handed it to Jethro, who had equipped himself with a pair of glasses that acted as magnifying glasses and small pair of tweezers. He took Blaziken's feather and examined Tailow's back, looking for a feather to replace it with. He found one, and very quickly and deftly removed it and put Blaziken's feather in. The brilliant yellow feather was smartly placed smack in the middle of Tailow's back. Smart style and incredible attention to detail were two of Jethro's most recognizable talents. Blaziken brought out two more feathers, these ones a brilliant red, that Jethro used to replace the feathers on the tips of the Tiny Swallow's wings. The next three feathers, tan in color, were transferred from Blaziken's chest to the Tailow's.

Each feather contained a special heat generated from the inside of Blaziken. The plan was to give additional body heat to Tailow in attempt to revive it. Seeing as though he had not done this for some time, Jethro was trying his best not to make an error… or cramp up.

_"Just do the best you can, Jethro. You may be a bit rusty, but I believe you can do this,"_ Blaziken told him. Jethro gave his star Pokémon a side glance, grinning. He reached back and patted Blaziken on the back.

"I will never understand how you do that, Jethro," Nurse Joy said from across the room. Blaziken turned, jumping slightly, while Jethro remained focused.

"It's simple," he said as he transplanted a rather damaged tail feather with another one of Blaziken's yellow ones, "you just take one feather out, and immediately–"

"No, no, not the transplanting, the way you can talk to Pokémon," Joy clarified. Jethro turned around, smiling.

"Just an awesome gift I was born with, I guess. One heck of a blessing, you could say," he said as he turned back to Tailow.

"And then there's the times it can be a curse," he joked as Blaziken gently punched his arm. Nurse Joy laughed and turned back to the rest of the Tailow.

Jethro had finished his work in a small amount of time. As he put the Tailow on another table underneath a lamp to regain its warmth, a few of the other Tailow flew over to make sure it was alright. Blaziken sat down next to the table to watch and make sure it recovered fully. It had started breathing regularly, so that was a good sign. Now it just needed to awaken and take flight.

"You guys sure you don't wanna catch up to your flock?" he asked.

"Tailow! Tail, Tailow!" a Tailow replied.

"I see," Jethro said. "Well, whatever works for you, I guess."

"What did it say?" Nurse Joy asked.

"Well, it turns out that they discussed a plan to rendezvous a short distance up the road from here before we arrived. That, and these Tailow chose to leave all together or not at all," Jethro explained.

"I see. So how's the Tailow over there–" before Nurse Joy could finish, there was a crashing sound from down the hallway. Jethro and Blaziken poked their heads out the door.

The hallway was empty.

"Go check it out," Jethro said. Blaziken nodded and started walking slowly down the hall. Jethro went to double-check Torterra. It was still standing guard, though the crash had caught its attention. "Not sure," Jethro answered Torterra's concerned look. "I'll let you know." As he turned back, he opened the Ultra Ball at the bottom of his backpack strap.  
"Garchomp, assist Blaziken." The Dragon- and Ground-Type nodded and went off to find its companion. Jethro went back into the surgery room. "Hang tight, folks, our program will resume shortly. In the meantime, I suggest you grab some popcorn, a drink… and maybe a secluded spot to hide in," he said.

You'd think that two 6-foot, 2-inch tall Pokémon wouldn't be too skilled at tip-toeing down a freakishly silent hall without making so much as a whisper at first glance, but these two were trained by a Pokémon Master. People learned to expect the unexpected with his Pokémon.

As Blaziken and Garchomp made their way down the hallway, something caught Garchomp's attention.

_"What is it?"_ Blaziken asked. _"What do you see?"_

_"A food bowl,"_ Garchomp replied quietly. Blaziken blinked a few times, and then put a hand to its face.

_"Dude… seriously?"_

_"No, no, I'm not interested in its taste… primarily… what has me focused is how out-of-place it is."_ Blaziken peered into the kitchen. Sure enough, there was a bowl of food sitting squarely in the middle of the counter. Too perfectly placed. The Pokémon looked at each other and nodded. They went back-to-back.

_"How stupid are we supposed to be to fall for _that?" Blaziken asked.

_"Very,"_ Garchomp replied as it took a bite out of a pear.

Blaziken looked back. _"Where'd you get that?"_

_"Zipped right in and grabbed it from the food bowl."_ Blaziken looked in disbelief at Garchomp and then the food bowl. Sure enough, there was a gap where the pear had been.

_"You know, you never cease to amaze me,"_ Blaziken said as its partner swallowed the core.

_"Well, my name ain't Gar_chomp _for nothing, now is it?"_

_"Good point."_ Garchomp let out a small belch. _"Well, excuse– _whoa!"

A few of the fruits in the bowl had tumbled off, apparently triggering a net trap. The two stood in shock as they watched it all happen.

_"And that is why I never go for the open food bowl,"_ Blaziken said. Something caught his attention. He could feel something move above him. He looked up.

_"Whoa!"_

A Lucario was concealing itself above the two where the wall and ceiling met. What brought it to Blaziken's attention was its soft growling in frustration. It leapt down between the two taller Pokémon, and prepared to fire two Aura Sphere attacks at them. Preparing for a battle, the two took fighting stances. Suddenly…

_"Hey, wait a minute… Burner, don't we know this guy?"_ Garchomp asked. Blaziken looked closer, and noticed something familiar. The eyes were wary and battle-worn. The fur was brushed smoothly, and its stance was smartly poised.

_"You know, I think you're right!"_ Blaziken said, surprised. All of a sudden, an idea hit the both of them. Lucario's grin wasn't making them feel any better.

_"Aw, crud,"_ Blaziken muttered. All three of the Pokémon bolted down the hallway.


	2. Chapter 2: Old Friends and New Ones

Jethro stood outside the surgery door.

He had heard the net trap go off and kept a sharp eye out for anything out of sorts. Torterra had moved to the other side of the door, ensuring that no one could slip by.  
Blaziken, Garchomp, and the all-too-familiar Lucario came bounding up the hallway. As soon as Jethro saw the Lucario, his shoulders sank.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me. _You?_ Of all the–" he started saying, then stopped abruptly. "Alright, alright," he said, and opened the door. He looked towards the now-awake Tailow. Just as he thought. "As much as I admire your smarts, skill, and technique, you really should start making more subtle appearances," he said.

A young woman a bit shorter than Jethro and a little younger with brown hair and sharp green eyes was standing right beside the Tailow, stroking its chin. She looked up at Jethro and smiled.

"It's good to see you, too, Jethro," she said. Jethro smiled back, and the two embraced. Blaziken signaled to Torterra a thumbs-up, indicating everything was alright.

"How've you been, Eloquence?" Jethro asked. "I haven't seen you for about a month!"

"Well, I've been busy running around as usual. Lucario and myself have been keeping tabs on you for a while. When we heard you beat Cynthia, we just had to find you and congratulate you!" Eloquence, or 'Elly' as she sometimes preferred, replied. She was a notorious tracker, and could hunt down a Pokémon at least a mile away. She wasn't too bad at tracking people, either.

She looked at the smartly-colored Tailow. "Your handiwork?" she asked.

"Yep. Poor thing developed a bit of hypothermia, so I decided to put my feather transplanting skills to the test after so long."

"You haven't lost so much as a glimmer of talent since I saw you last, Jethro," Eloquence reassured him. Jethro smiled proudly. "May have gained a bit of weight, though," she added. Jethro's smile vanished.

"Ouch," was all he could say. Elly laughed. Jethro shook his head and then directed his attention to the colorful Tailow. "How are you feeling, little guy?"

"Tail, Tail, Tailow!" it squawked. It spread its wings and fluttered around the room. It landed on his shoulder and nudged his chin in affection.

"Don't mention it, buddy," Jethro said. "You should really catch up to your flock, ya know. They're probably getting worried sick!" Tailow hung its head. Jethro scratched it behind its head, then put his finger under its chin and brought its head up. "Now, don't you worry, little one. We will see each other sometime in the future, I promise." The Tailow looked at Jethro with a happier expression. It gave him one last nudge, called to its friends, and they all flew off.

"C'mon, let's go say good-bye!" Eloquence said as she ran outside after them. Jethro shrugged to Nurse Joy.

"Might as well, being that we helped them and everything," he said. They ran out after them, where Torterra was waiting. The Tailow were flying off into the day to meet with the rest of their migrating flock. Jethro's Tailow pulled off a few aerial stunts in farewell. Jethro and the others waved, while Torterra launched an Energy Ball into the air. It exploded in brilliant colors of greens, yellows, and a mixture of violets and whites. They stood watching the Tailow fly away until they disappeared into the afternoon sky.

"You think we'll see them again, Jethro? Soon, maybe?" Eloquence asked. Jethro looked at her, smiled, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Elly, we will see them again," he said. "Most likely the one with the new feather-do," he added. He looked back towards the direction the Tailow disappeared for a moment, and then let out a long breath.

"Well… I guess…" he started to say.

"What? Guess what?" Nurse Joy asked.

Elly rolled her eyes. "You're going to leave now, aren't you?" she asked, as if she already knew the answer.

"Well, I'm not really called the Camping Hero, now am I? I mean, someone's gotta tell my parents of my recent achievements, right?" Jethro replied.

Eloquence glared at him. "You couldn't just stay here for the day, just for once? I mean, you just healed a Tailow here. I'm sure Nurse Joy and a few other Trainers could use your own special healing skills!" Eloquence argued. "Besides, you can at least call your parents from here, compared to me, who… can't even…" she trailed off.

That was enough to convince Jethro. "You prove a valid point. I'll stay," he said. "I'll call my parents later on. I'm sure they'll want to talk to you, too, if you want. In the meantime, I'll be handling the heavily hit Pokémon… and possibly handling a pen, as I'm sure to get requests for autographs," he muttered. Eloquence smiled.

"Thanks, Jethro," she said.

"On two conditions; one, I'll only handle fifteen feather transplants and about thirty autographs; two, you let me teach you how to do the transplants," he added. Eloquence smiled.

"Deal," she chuckled.

What they didn't see as they walked back to the Pokémon Center, was the little flying camera drone atop the building, watching their every move and recording everything they said. Its purpose may have been recon, but its affiliation was ultimate destruction…

And total domination.

* * *

As they went back in, Jethro went into the kitchen, followed by Nurse Joy. Eloquence stayed out in the lobby to mingle with a group of Trainers

"So, Jethro," Nurse Joy asked, "why can't Eloquence call her parents?" Jethro stood silent for a moment before answering.

"Her family… was taken from her," he said quietly. He leaned against the center counter. Nurse Joy had heard about how Jethro gave speeches. She wasn't about to make any interruptions.

"They were on a picnic. Eloquence had just gotten her Pokémon license; she had just… turned… ten years old. Although she is from the Kanto Region, her first Pokémon was not a Squirtle, nor Bulbasaur, nor a Charmander. Her very first Pokémon was a Riolu, a friend she had made as a child. They were celebrating the event with a very nice picnic.

'That's when they were attacked.

'A pack of Houndoom had attacked them out of nowhere. They were helpless, as her father's Gallade and her mother's Gardevoir were struck down. The Gallade fought fiercely after Gardevoir was taken down. It managed to knock out one Houndoom and severely injure another. It took a Flamethrower, then a Shadow Ball. That was all it could muster. The Flamethrower had started a fire around the family, trapping them.

'Riolu, however, was not out of the game.

'To ensure that its Trainer could escape, it charged the Houndoom, dodging every attack. It countered with several Quick Attacks and Force Palms. It managed to take out three Houndoom… until they rallied." Jethro paused for a moment. "There's something I want to come back to at this point, I'll get to it later on," he said, then continued. "They were ruthless… attacking left, right, behind, and in front. Riolu endured a large amount of damage…

'That's when it began to use Reversal. It kept them at bay for a while, and Eloquence's mother took the chance. Her mother wrapped themselves up in the picnic blanket, dashed through the fire, hid in some nearby bushes and watched, waiting for her Riolu to escape. Her father stayed behind to assist Riolu, throwing a few punches himself.

'Reversal only worked so many times, until neither Riolu nor Elly's father could withstand the brutal attacks any longer. As soon as it saw an opening, it ran. It stumbled to one knee, but got back up and started running again. It was nearly to the bushes… when it was hit by a Shadow Ball. It was sent through the bushes, flying right into Elly. She and her mother didn't waste time; she picked up her Riolu and ran for her life. Her mother had tried to follow, but was knocked back by one of the Houndoom, which sprinted after Elly.

'She had gone quite a ways before the Houndoom tracked her down. She was tackled to the ground." Jethro looked to Eloquence through the glass window. "I cannot imagine the horror, the terror, which she felt as she looked into that Houndoom's eyes. It reeled back to launch a Shadow Ball…

'And that was when it came.

'The Houndoom was hit broadside with a massive Fire Fang from one of the most powerful Fire-Types you could ever meet.

'Entei.

'The Houndoom was sent rolling, and hardly got back up when Entei sent it flying. 'Over a tall hill it sailed, and when it finally passed out of sight, Entei turned to Elly. She had fainted from exhaustion, so Entei picked her up and carried her to the nearest town."

Jethro paused for another while.

"Now, what I want to get back to is this; Pokémon are never evil-natured, as far as we know. And usually, when more than one Houndoom in a pack is downed, they usually regroup and flee… but why did these ones instead rally and attack all at once?"

A few hours went by, and not much actually happened. Jethro had whipped up a meal for everyone, including some of the Trainers that were staying the night. A few Trainers had come by and asked for Nurse Joy's help… within the first three hours. Awhile after a young boy came in with a severely poisoned Monferno, which Jethro healed, people started coming in more frequently. At first, he thought that the young boy had contacted quite the number of people and told him of his whereabouts for autograph opportunities. But things started to add up incorrectly. At first, it was the amount of Pokémon coming in with the poisoned status and the severity. But then there were severe burns, freezes, paralysis cases, and some severely injured Pokémon who had fainted so badly that even Jethro's Max Revives weren't working as efficiently as they should've been. Jethro had asked a few Trainers on how their Pokémon had gotten their wounds. They had all said similar things:

"Some real strong Trainer got the better of me."

"The guy was uber strong."

"I just need more training, that's all…"

Jethro wasn't going to let this go on for much longer.

A teenager and her Aggron and Metang had been teleported in the building by her Xatu, and it looked as if they had been through a small war. Metang had an intense burn, whereas Aggron's entire back was encased in a thick sheet of ice. Jethro, under normal circumstances, would've taken care of the situation, but he had other plans.

"Eloquence, Nurse Joy, take care of this gal's Pokémon, please," he said. The two Steel-Types were rushed to the back. The Trainer started to follow them, but Jethro put a firm hand on her shoulder to stop her. "We need to talk."

They went behind the main counter and sat down.

"What's your name, may I ask?" Jethro started.

"I'm Sierra," the Trainer replied, "and I am a huge fan of yours!"

"Thank you, I can give you an autograph later on, but right now, I need you to tell me who or what did this, how, and why," Jethro said. "Your Pokémon are clearly very well trained, that I could see by how you brought them in and how strong they looked. How were they beaten so easily?"

Sierra hung her head. "I really don't know. I was walking down the road, when all of a sudden, a Weavile and Dusknoir jumped out in front of us. As odd as it seemed for two Pokémon like that to be teaming up, I thought they were wild and so I wanted to catch them. Suddenly this guy walks out from behind the Weavile saying they were his Pokémon and wanted to battle, so I sent my Aggron and Metang out. He let me have the first move, so Aggron used Flamethrower on Weavile and Metang used Metal Claw on Dusknoir.

'To my surprise, Weavile slashed right through the Flamethrower, and Dusknoir caught the Metal Claw and stopped it cold! Metang was thrown right into Aggron, and the Weavile used Ice Beam. Luckily, my Pokémon dodged it just in time. However, when the Ice Beam hit the ground, it made a creepy hunk of ice. It was sharp all over, and had a dark gray hue to it."

Jethro's right eyebrow went up. He had noticed the same kind of ice on Aggron's back when it was brought in. "Go on," he said.

"Aggron then used Iron Head on the Weavile, and Metang used Shadow Ball. Weavile went flying into a tree, but Dusknoir blocked the Shadow Ball. Weavile jumped back up and launched a Dark Pulse at Aggron, sending it back at Metang. Dusknoir used Will-O-Wisp, and my Aggron dodged it. Metang, however, caught it full-force. The blast from it looked as bad as that burn you saw."

Jethro was now very concerned. Metang's burn covered its entire body, the worst of it completely blackening its entire right side. Even high-level Pokémon that used that move didn't leave that bad of a burn!

Sierra continued. "Seeing that Metang had fainted, Aggron nearly went berserk! It launched Flamethrower at both of them, then rushed at them with Iron Tail. Dusknoir deflected it, then Shadow Punched Aggron right in the face, sending it back again.

'Weavile launched another Ice Beam, but aimed it at Metang. Aggron darted right in front of it, using its back to absorb the attack.

'That was all it could take. The poor thing went down to one knee, gasping for air. The Trainer laughed at me, calling me and my Pokémon weak. He then told Dusknoir and Weavile to use Shadow Ball. Thinking fast, I sent out my Xatu, and we Teleported here."

The two sat silently for a moment, Jethro in deep thought.

"This Trainer… what did he look like?" he asked.

Sierra thought for a moment. "He was wearing some kind of weird metal mask that covered his mouth. His eyes were behind some kind of visor thing, and he had some armor covering his arms and legs… he had on a black hat, a black cloak, and grey pants and a shirt. There was this 'S' on the shirt; looked like this:" she drew the shape with her finger in the dust on the counter. Jethro looked at it, remembering it for later.

"Did you see what kind of Poké Ball he used?"

"They were a dark grey and black, and looked really weird. They had some wavy grooves on it that spiraled around them… I've never seen them before," Sierra said. Jethro pondered at her description.

"I wonder…" he muttered. An idea came to him. "Does your Xatu know the move Mind Reader, by chance?" Sierra thought about it.

"As a matter of fact, it does," she said.

"Bring it out, if you would please, I want to try something."

"Sure." Sierra brought out a Premier Ball, a white Poké Ball with a red line as the seal. Xatu was released from within.

"Xatu, if you would please, use Mind Reader to show me what Sierra saw. I hope I'm wrong, but I want to confirm what Sierra described," Jethro said. Xatu looked at its Trainer with a questioning look. Sierra nodded, and Xatu touched its wings to both their heads.

It used Mind Reader, and Jethro began to see what Sierra saw.

The Weavile and Dusknoir appearing… the mysterious Trainer, just as described… Aggron's Flamethrower being sliced in half… Metang being thrown into its partner… the eerie hunk of ice… Aggron going half berserk… Aggron absorbing the Ice Beam… the dual Shadow Ball attack… Xatu using Teleport…

The Trainer's Poké Ball…

The Mind Read came to an end. Jethro sat back, panting, the look of fear unmistakable.

"Mr. Striker? Are you alright? What's wrong?" Sierra asked.

"The Poké Balls he used… when I saw it, my heart stopped for a moment." Though he managed to calm down, his mind was racing at what seemed Mach 2. "Those were no ordinary Poké Balls… nor were they any type of Poké Ball that should _ever_ be used," he said. He looked Sierra right in the eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"That Trainer…" Jethro said in a low voice. Eloquence came back into lobby.

"Good news! Your Pokémon are fully… healed…" she said, and stopped when she saw Jethro's face. "You look like you've seen a ghost, Jethro, what's wrong?"

"You know all these Trainers that've been coming in with severe cases? They've all met the same Trainer on the road…" he said.

"And?" Eloquence asked. Jethro looked at her with fear and seriousness in his eyes.

"He catches Pokémon… with Dark Balls."


	3. Chapter 3: The Dark Trainer

The masked Trainer stood atop the hill facing the Pokémon Center where Jethro was the sun was setting, which meant he could slip by in the night undetected. Good news for himself… not so much for Jethro and his friends. The camera drone flew up to him, resting on his shoulder. It turned to look at him, focusing on his visor. He looked back.

"Soon," he said, "very soon."

Jethro, Eloquence, Nurse Joy, and all the other Trainers including Sierra had gathered at the counter. Jethro had told everyone a short version of Sierra's encounter. He was now discussing battle and travel plans.

"Those of you who wish to stay and fight may do so, but keep a sharp eye out. This Trainer most likely knows I am here, and will probably come after me, slipping through the shadows like some kind of evil ninja," he was saying.

_"Hey!"_ a voice shouted. Jethro looked back to see a Trainer a little younger than himself wearing a ninja outfit and a Ninjask floating next to him.

"I meant no offense towards you or your kind, sir. I'm not saying that all, or any of your kind, for that matter, are evil… I'm just saying that this guy is," Jethro explained. The young ninja nodded, allowing Jethro to proceed. "As I was saying, be on your guards, 'cause this guy will be very sneaky and very hard to spot. Those of you who wish not to stay, Sierra and her Xatu will Teleport you to wherever you need to go. My mother should be here shortly with her Chansey and my Gardevoir to help in the Teleportation and healing to whoever needs it. Please do not engage in conversation with her, or it may go on forever," he joked. A few people chuckled.

"Alrighty then, let's get to it!" Jethro announced. "Defense squadrons, take your positions! First wave, follow Eloquence outside. Second wave, you're in here with me. The rest of you, get behind the counter with Sierra and Nurse Joy. My mom should be here shortly, so be patient," he commanded.

Eloquence and the first wave of defense Trainers ran outside. The second wave was scattered throughout the building; five in the hallway, five behind the counter, and ten in the lobby, including Jethro. Sierra began to Teleport the Trainers out.

"Where do you want to go?" she asked the first one in line, a burly teen with a determined attitude.

"Mossdeep City in the Hoenn Region," he said. "I got some friends who might be able to help."

"Mossdeep it is," Sierra said. "Ready, Xatu?"

_"Xatuuuu,"_ the bird hummed, and they disappeared in a flash of light. Another flash of light emitted from in front of the counter, and Jethro's mom and his Gardevoir appeared.

"Hey, kiddo, how ya doin?" she said. She went over and embraced her taller child.

"Hey, Mom, I'm fine!" he replied, hugging her back. He looked up to see his teleporting friend.

"Hey, Gardevoir, how've you been?" Gardevoir put a hand to its chest and gave a small bowing gesture. Jethro looked around. "Where's Chansey?" he asked.

"In the Poké Ball," his mother replied. "I don't see why it should be out unless there's an emergency, right?"

"Good point… I guess," Jethro replied. "There's a line of people here, ready to be teleported away to a safer place. If there's any trouble, call me."

His mother chuckled. "You sound like me on that day you started your journey!" she said. "C'mon, Gardevoir, let's get these people out of here," she said. Gardevoir nodded silently and raised its hands, which began to glow a bright blue, along with its eyes. The same bright light began to appear around all the people in line, encasing them all, and then in a flash, they were all gone. Jethro stood there in admiration.

"Showoff," he heard Blaziken mutter. Gardevoir giggled lightly. It had been reading everybody's minds, allowing it to determine where they all wanted to go. Thanks to special training from Jethro, it had managed to Teleport everyone all at once.

Another flash of light, and the Trainers from Mossdeep City appeared, accompanied by some fierce-looking Pokémon. Sierra was in front, her Xatu standing quaintly beside her.

"Mr. Striker, may I present to you," the burly teen announced, his arms spread wide, "the Mossdeep Squad."

"Very impressive, I must say," Jethro said, surprised. Amongst the teens were very powerful Pokémon, such as a Magmortar, Magnezone, Nidoking and Nidoqueen, a Luxray, a Tropius, a Breloom, and a Flygon. The leader, the one who went with Sierra first, had with him a feisty Raichu, as well as a determined-looking Swampert.

"You certainly have quite the team behind you—um—sorry, I didn't catch your name…" Jethro said.

"I'm Marvin," the burly teen said.

"Marvin… well, Marvin, you certainly have quite the team behind you. Now that we have your friends here, holding that guy off should be…" All of a sudden, the power went out, leaving the room nearly pitch black.

"… a cinch," Jethro finished. The emergency lights kicked in, allowing a little vision. Blaziken's wrists ignited, the flames improving vision even further. "Thanks, buddy, that'll definitely help. Elly? What's it like out there?" Jethro said through his Poké Nav.

"Oh, just fine, now that the power went out. Luckily, one of the troopers has a Typhlosion to keep us some light," she responded. Jethro relaxed for a moment. Then something came to him.

"If the Trainer with the Typhlosion can hear me, tell it to let out a Flamethrower!" he said loudly. A few seconds later, there was a bright orange glow outside. The surrounding area received such light that it almost looked like daytime. A few seconds before the Flamethrower subsided, Jethro caught sight of something. It nearly scared him to death.

There was the Trainer, standing on the other side of the road, as still as could be…

And looking directly at Jethro.

_"He's here!" _he shouted. Immediately, attacks went flying in all directions. A few came close to hitting the Trainer, but none landed their marks. The Trainer sent out his Dusknoir and Weavile, and then sent them off to attack the Trainers on the roof.

"Gardevoir, get my mother out of here, _now!_" Jethro shouted. Gardevoir grabbed its Trainer's mother and Teleported away in the blink of an eye, and not a moment too soon, for a Trainer and its Ampharos had been pummeled through the ceiling right where she was standing. The Weavile leapt down from the hole it created, landing a few short feet from Jethro. It looked up at him, giving him shivers. Pure evil could be seen from inside, and even Jethro was intimidated. It bolted towards him, but his Blaziken was faster. It delivered a fierce Fire Punch into its midsection, sending it flying into the wall. Marvin's Swampert grabbed it and flung it to his Raichu, which slammed it back with an Iron Tail. Swampert sent the Weavile back through the ceiling with a ferocious uppercut of its thick arm. It sailed through the ceiling and the roof, shooting up right in front of Eloquence and the dark Trainer, who were engaged in hand-to-hand combat. They both looked down, only to see a pair of glowing orange eyes glaring back. The Swampert fired an Ice Beam, sealing the hole tight. The Trainer looked back up to see Eloquence's fist smash into his visor. He stumbled backwards, and Eloquence continued to advance.

"What's going on up there? Someone answer me!" Jethro shouted.

"This Dusknoir's tougher than we thought, Mr. Striker!" someone replied "It doesn't seem to be taking any damage whatsoever—augh!"

"Unfortunately, that's what a Dark Ball does. While it turns a Pokémon to its most sinister form, it also amps it up to the highest level," Jethro informed the other Trainers in the room. All of a sudden, something crashed through the ceiling. As the debris and dust cleared, it was visible as to what it was.

"Oh, you've _got_ to be _kidding me!"_ Jethro heard Blaziken mutter.

It was a Slowbro.

"Really? _That's _what's going to be our next challenge? _Ha!"_ one of the Trainers from Mossdeep chortled. Slowbro stood up, and the laughing stopped abruptly. This Slowbro was not a regular, dimwitted Pokémon.

It was the dark Trainer's Slowbro.

"Well, this should be fun," another Mossdeep Trainer muttered. The Slowbro raised its hands, and its cruel eyes started to glow a deep blue. The Psychic attack threw everyone against the walls, pinning them. Blaziken tried to advance, but the attack was too strong for it to move.

"Breloom, Energy Ball!" a Squad member shouted. Her Breloom launched a glowing green orb at the Slowbro, hitting it head-on. The attack didn't affect the Slowbro much, but it was just enough for Jethro to reach for another Ultra Ball.

"Tyranitar! We need your assistance!" he bellowed. The Armor Pokémon appeared in front of Slowbro, glaring at it menacingly. The Slowbro looked up, more surprised than fearful at the site of the tan-colored brute strength of Jethro's party.

"Use Dark Pulse!" Jethro commanded. A mass of dark energy erupted from Tyranitar's hands, blasting the Slowbro through the door. It slowly got up, only to be slammed into a tree by the walking tank's tail. It fell to the ground, unable to continue.

"God job, big guy!" Jethro shouted from the door. Tyranitar roared in victory, shaking the ground… as well as the dark Trainer off of the roof. He landed in a bush near the entrance, coughing and groaning. He looked over to Jethro and scrambled to his feet. His Dusknoir fell beside him in defeat, along with his Weavile. Returning all three of his Pokémon, the Trainer started to flee.

"Hey, you! I'm not done with you yet!" Eloquence shouted. With her sword in hand, she leapt down. The Trainer growled and turned to leave. Instead, he found himself face-to-face with Elly's Lucario. The Trainer smirked.

"What, you're gonna use Aura Sphere on me, send me flying, little Lucario?" he taunted. Lucario didn't move a muscle. It didn't even look like it was breathing. "So you're just going to stand there, not moving," the Trainer said, "while I… walk… around you… and make my escape?" The Trainer was behind Lucario by the time he finished asking. Nobody moved. They were all wondering what was going to happen. The Trainer chuckled.

"I didn't think so—_oof!_" He fell to the ground, dazed. He looked up. "Okay, _you_ I may have a bit more trouble with," he said, more scared than cocky.

He had bumped into a menacing-looking Nidoking. Jethro's shiny Tyranitar was standing on its right, while Blaziken was on the left. The Trainer looked around, and noticed that he was surrounded by the Pokémon from the Mossdeep Squad. The Magmortar was aiming its arm at him, intense heat pouring out of it. The Magnezone's magnets were spinning rapidly, the electric current making his air stand on end. The Flygon was glaring menacingly at the Trainer, as well as the Tropius and Breloom. The Luxray was growling deeply, some static electricity pulsing through its fur. The dark Trainer turned all the way around, finding himself facing Eloquence's Lucario once again. It was looking right back.

"This is probably gonna hurt… isn't it?" the Trainer asked. Lucario smiled.

"Not for too long," Jethro said. The Trainer turned back around to see him standing in front of the Nidoking. "At least, not at first. When you wake up, however…" he said, leaning forward to put a hand on the dark Trainer's shoulder.

"You're gonna feel like you have about fifteen knives in your skull." He patted him on the shoulder and stood back up. The Trainer looked back once again to look at Lucario. The only thing he ever saw before complete darkness was Lucario's foot flying at him, and stars floating overhead the next millisecond.

* * *

Lights began to come through… come through? Come through what, exactly, the Trainer wondered. The next thing to come after the lights was a headache the size of Mount Coronet, followed by a head splitting sound; the sound of light. That's what's possible when your head isn't quite ready to wake up, as it turned out. He was actually lying down in a dark room, no doubt inside the Pokémon Center. He put a hand to his head… which, admittedly, _did _feel like there were about fifteen knives sticking out of. The Trainer looked around the room again. He couldn't see a thing. He tried to get up, but staggered and fell back to the ground. His head was spinning from the intense pain. He was beginning to feel his hands again, which was good. He put a hand to his mask…

His mask! It wasn't there!

"Where is it? Where's my mask?" he asked aloud. He got to his hands and knees and started fumbling in the dark for it.

"Looking for this?" a voice asked. A bright, white light poured onto the villain. Clenching his eyes shut, he slowly turned to the voice. He opened his eyes, letting them adjust to the intense light. There was Jethro, sitting in a chair next to a lamp with his legs crossed…

And holding the mask.

"Give me that back!" the Trainer growled.

"You want it? Come and get it, Mr. Mask," Jethro responded. The Trainer bolted, reaching for his mask. Before he could even touch it, Jethro retracted his right leg and lashed out, sending the mask-wearer into the opposite wall with enough force to leave a small crack. "Why's it so important to you? What do you really need it for?" Jethro asked as he deflected several punches. "Is it really just to protect your identity? Just to make you look cool?" He caught a failed roundhouse kick and threw his opponent into the wall again.

"Or is it a way to stay in contact with the Sinister Division?" This question struck home. The Trainer looked up in shock.

"How- how did you-?" he asked.

"Please, you think I wouldn't recognize the name and _symbol,_" Jethro said as he indicated the fancy 'S' insignia on the inside of the mask, "of the people who attacked my hometown?" The Trainer slowly stood up. "And another thing, _Zephyr!" _Jethro said in a calm yet furious tone. Zephyr froze. How did he figure out his name?

"The next time you see anyone from Sinister Division, be it a grunt, official, or Sinestra herself, you tell them this: the next time I see them, I'm bringing the wrath of the Hoenn Region with me." He leaned in close to Zephyr's face.

"Do I make myself clear?" he asked in a tone that made chills go down Zephyr's back.

"Yes, sir!" he whimpered.

"Good," Jethro growled softly. He straightened up, walked over, and opened the door. "He's all yours, Officers," he said. Officer Jenny walked in, along with two other police officers. They were all wearing heavy duty suits, and none of them looked too pleased to meet Zephyr.

"You're coming with us to Sunyshore City to spend some time behind solid steel, bub," Jenny said.

"Sure, sure, just let me recollect my… mask?" Zephyr requested. Once again, it wasn't there. "Okay, where's my mask now?" he asked. Jethro popped his head around the doorway.

"Officer, could you bring the culprit outside, please? We want to show you all something!" he said.

* * *

One thing that Jethro was an expert at coaching, other than battle techniques, was target practice. And the one thing he loved to use for a target more than anything was something that belonged to a villain he truly loathed with a passion.

Today's target was Zephyr's mask.

The shooters were Elly's Lucario and Jethro's Torterra.

"Are we all ready for this?" Jethro asked the crowd. The entire crowd cheered their approval. "I think they're ready, Elly!" he said to his firing partner.

"I don't know, Jethro, I can't hear them!" she urged the crowd, which cheered even louder.

"Feels like we're some kind of sports announcers or something!" Jethro said loudly so she could hear. He raised a hand for silence, which came almost instantaneously. "Thank you. Now, these two need total concentration, so please be silent until we are certain that the target's been obliterated," Jethro told them. The silence that followed was so intense Jethro had to test his ears to make sure he hadn't just gone deaf. "Ready, Elly?" he asked.

"Ready," she replied.

"You two ready?" Jethro asked the Pokémon. Lucario and Torterra nodded. Jethro turned to Officer Jenny. "You ready for this?"

"Absolutely," she replied.

"Alright," Jethro turned back to the mask. "On my mark. Three… two… one… fire!"

"Aura Sphere, Lucario!" Elly shouted. Torterra fired an Energy Ball in complete synchronization with Lucario, creating a blue-and-green orb of energy. It hit the mask full-force, blowing the rock it was propped up against to oblivion. The crowd roared, pumping their fists in the air and whistling loudly. Jethro turned towards them and bowed as if he was part of an opera. Elly high-fived her Lucario and thrust her hands in the air. Jethro began to feel like he was being cheered on after beating Cynthia again.

But the praise was short-lived.

Jethro felt something prickling at the back of his brain. It was his telepathic connection to Torterra; something was _very_ wrong. He turned around to see what it could be.

His heart almost stopped.

Torterra was looking right at him…

Through Zephyr's mask.

It had reshaped itself to fit Torterra's face completely, and had some sort of mind-control grip on it. Jethro could see its eyes glowing red from behind the visor. He knew all too well what was coming next.

_"Take cover; incoming Frenzy Plant!" _he bellowed to the crowd. The cheering stopped abruptly, followed by confused looks. The confused looks turned into horror and panic as people and their Pokémon scattered out of the way of several giant roots erupting from the ground. Jethro leapt out of the way, rolling on the ground and springing back up in a fighting stance. He picked an Ultra Ball off of his backpack strap and threw it in the air.

"Metagross, I need your assistance!" he called. The gold-and-silver Iron Leg Pokémon landed in between Jethro and Torterra, its permanent glare fixed on its partner.

_"I do not want to hurt you, my friend,"_ it said, _"but if you do not cease this behavior, I will be forced to take you out."_ Being that it couldn't move after using Frenzy Plant, Torterra merely growled at its fellow teammate. _"Very well,"_ Metagross said. _"The hard way it is, then."_ It used Psychic on the mask to try and pull it off, but to no avail. Torterra was even lifted off the ground at one point!

"Use those brains of yours, Metagross; figure a way to get that thing off," Jethro said.

_"I'm doing my best, sir, but nothing I do can make a difference. I would prefer not to use Ice Punch on our friend,"_ Metagross replied. It set Torterra back down.

"Wait, wait,_ wait!"_ Jethro shouted.

It was too late.

As soon as the Continent Pokémon touched the ground, it unleashed a powerful Earthquake attack, knocking everybody off their feet. Metagross took significant damage, and was knocked back to Jethro, its legs sprawled out.

_"However, I can make an exception to a low blow like that,"_ it said.

"Sounds good to me," Jethro agreed. They both got up and faced Torterra once again. "Buddy," Jethro called to it, "if you can hear me in there, you better brace yourself!" There was a slight pause, followed by and shaky slow nod from Torterra. Jethro nodded back. "Alright, Metagross; aim carefully."

_"You're probably gonna come out of this with a massive headache, my friend, but believe me, it'll be better than what you're going through right now,"_ Metagross told its younger partner. It bolted towards it using its psychic powers to levitate, and then drew its front right leg up. Ice formed around it, leaving a vapor-like trail as the Ice Punch landed forcefully on-target. The mask went flying off, a black-and-maroon aura trailing it. Torterra shook its head, dazed.

_"You sure don't pull your punches much, do you?"_ it slurred.

_"Well, I didn't want to risk it staying on there,"_ Metagross stated. _"How do you feel?"_

_"As a whole, I feel much better. My head, on the other hand, is another story,"_ Torterra replied, shaking its head. It looked at the mask that had moments ago been controlling it. _"If you don't mind, I'd like to personally get rid of this thing,"_ it growled. It walked over to the still mask and raised a thick foreleg.

_"If you can see this, Sinister Division, you may want to pay attention,"_ it said. It brought its leg straight down.

It hit solid earth.

The mask had flown up again, hovering right in front of Torterra.

_"Boss!"_ it shouted. Jethro unsheathed his sword, the blade glowing a bright blue, and returned Torterra to its Poké Ball. The mask floated past him and Metagross.

It was aiming straight for Elly.

Lucario stepped between the levitating mask and its target and unleashed two Aura Spheres. The mask avoided both of them and slammed into Lucario, knocking it aside. Elly was paralyzed by fear. She could see it adjusting itself to fit its new host's face. The visor was glowing a crimson red, the dark aura growing stronger. Elly closed her eyes. She didn't want to see herself turned into a monster.

She prepared for the worst.

It never came.

Just as it came within an arm's reach, Jethro sliced it two. The pieces whizzed past her, landing just in front of the wide-eyed crowd. They sparked and then lay silent. Jethro went over to the two pieces, ensuring they weren't going to try anything sneaky. He crushed one with his foot and stabbed the other one, just to be safe. He turned to Elly. She wasn't moving an inch. She hardly even looked like she was breathing!

"Elly? You okay?" Jethro asked. No response. "Eloquence?" Nothing. Her Lucario stepped in front of her and growled softly. Hardly even a twitch. Lucario looked at Jethro and shrugged. Jethro put a hand to his scruffy chin. Then his eyebrows rose and his shoulders sagged.

"Okay, seriously, Elly, that's not even remotely funny," he said. She turned towards him, a wide smile on her face.

"You're getting better at that," she said. Jethro rolled his eyes as the crowd heaved a sigh of relief.

"Alright, folks, I think we've had enough of an adventure here tonight. I recommend that you return to your homes or get to your next destination on your journey as quickly as possible, to stay safe," he told them. "The next few days, if not weeks, may get rather unpleasant. For those of you who live close by, I suggest you get home now. For those of you who live farther away, it's best you wait here until sunrise." He turned to the Mossdeep Squad. "Have you notified your superiors of your presence here?" he asked the leader. Marvin chuckled.

"Yes, we told our parents and/or girlfriends that we would be fighting elsewhere, sir," he said. The crowd burst out laughing.

"Good," Jethro said, smiling widely. "Please tell me you left someone behind in Mossdeep to keep guard of the place," he added.

"Oh, we left the big folks at home," Marvin said. "By 'big folks', I mean the adults of our organization."

"The adults?"

"Yeah. My dad's the adult's leader; I lead the teens."

"I see…" Jethro turned to the rest of the crowd. "As for you other long-distance folks, it's best we get inside, now. For those of you who live nearby… why are you still here? Get going!" he told them. Several Trainers immediately returned their Pokémon and left in groups. As the other Trainers went inside the Pokémon Center, Jethro turned back to Elly.

"Metagross, Torterra, nice work. Return," he said, and his two Pokémon returned to their designated Poké Balls. He looked to Eloquence. She was standing in front of what remained of the mask, staring at it. Lucario was standing next to her, looking from her to the mask and back. Jethro walked over.

"You okay, Elly?" he asked. She didn't respond. This time he knew she wasn't pretending. He knelt down to Lucario and rubbed its head and scratched it behind the ears. "She's hard to get through to sometimes, isn't she?"

Lucario sighed.

_"You have no idea, Jethro,"_ it said to him. Jethro chuckled and stood back up. He looked at the mask pieces.

"When you're ready, Elly, come on inside," he said. He started to walk away, but she grabbed his arm.

"Can you stay out here with me a little longer?" she asked quietly. Jethro went over and put his arm around her shoulder. He could feel her shaking slightly. He looked at the mask with her. "When that thing came at me… it was so horrifying. It was shaping itself to match my face… to take me over… and that wasn't the worst part," she said a little shakily. Jethro looked her in the eyes.

He had never seen her so scared in his life. Perhaps this is what she looked like when she was attacked as a child…

"The worst part… was the look it gave me. It _looked at me! _Like it was meant for me or something… oh, Jethro, it was so scary…" she trailed off. Jethro turned her towards him and hugged her softly. Her shoulders shook violently, and she put her arms on his back as she did what Jethro thought he'd never see her do.

She cried.

Jethro held her close in an embrace that ensured her that he would never leave her or let anything happen to her. He stood there, swaying slightly as he felt her first tear hit his shoulder. He looked down into her eyes.

"We would've done everything in our power to get it off. We wouldn't rest until you were free from its grip. Trust me when I say that as long as we're around," he said as he wiped a tear. "You can be sure you're staying with us." Elly's face brightened. Barely, but enough. She chuckled a little.

"You have no idea how corny that sounded," she managed to laugh. Jethro grinned.

"Well, I may not be the best at delivering words like that in the most correct manner, but you know it's true," he said. She laughed a little more, and Jethro hugged her a little closer.

"Yeah… you sure know how to make a girl feel special," she said.

"How else do you think I got a girlfriend?" he pointed out.

Elly chuckled, "Yeah, the daughter of the Gym Leader Flannery… how did you even manage that one?" she asked with bewilderment. Jethro smiled and shrugged, and the three of them walked back in the Pokémon Center.


	4. Chapter 4: A Small Family Reunion

Every single word… every single movement…

Was filmed and documented.

The little camera drone had still been lingering about, catching all of Jethro's movements with the most sinister of purposes.

It caught the whole conversation.

Back at their main base, the Sinister Division technician operating the camera relayed the video feed into the main control room. A woman dressed in dark red and black sat with her legs crossed and her fingertips pressing against each other. She smiled coldly.

"So we know his weak points… good. How soon can we commence our operation?" she asked.

"We are almost prepared, ma'am. The last touch-ups are being made as we speak," the technician said over the intercom.

"Good," she said. "Very good."

All of a sudden, something obstructed the camera lens. The woman sat forward in her seat.

"What's happening?" she demanded.

"I don't know," the technician said. "Something's got the camera!" There was a sharp movement, and then the screen went blank.

"We've lost the signal," another technician said.

"How?" demanded the woman.

"Someone… or something… has found the camera and destroyed it." The woman sat back in the chair again and put two fingers to her head.

"This complicates things… but not too terribly," she said to herself. "We continue as planned."

"Yes, ma'am," replied the technician. The woman sat back in her chair and smirked at the screen.

"Soon, Jethro," she said to herself. "Soon…"

* * *

Jethro held the damaged camera device in his hands, his brow furrowed in anger and disgust. The crimson 'S' on the top was now dark, the lens cracked. He wanted so badly to crush the camera, but first, he wanted answers.

"Where did you find this?" he almost growled. His Staraptor, the one who demolished the camera, pointed to the tree just outside the Center. Jethro growled to himself, and then turned to Eloquence. "It caught every single thing today… where we were… our midnight debacle… the little convo… everything. All to study _me._ How'd I miss it?"

"It's only big enough to fit in your hands, Jethro. It's not that easy to catch!" Elly protested.

"Given the fact that I have rather sizeable hands, that's not helping," Jethro muttered. He turned back to his Staraptor. "When exactly did you see this?" he asked.

"At the same time I arrived; I heard you were in the area, so I decided to stop by and say hello to my old friend," it told him. Jethro looked back to the camera in his hands.

"And that's when you spotted this," he said.

"Well, I am a renowned aerial hunter, so it wasn't very hard," Staraptor said proudly, puffing out its chest. It looked at the camera. "What do you plan on doing with it, boss?" it asked. Jethro stood looking at the camera for a moment, and then smiled slyly.

"Somehow, I get the feeling I'm going to like this look," Eloquence said.

"Oh, it gets better," Jethro replied. "It gets much, much better."

At the same table he healed the Tailow, Jethro set up shop with the camera. He pulled out his multi-tool, one of his own creations, and set his backpack aside. He whipped out a scanning device and scanned for schematics. A holographic projector showed a remodeled way to reconstruct the device. Jethro smiled to himself.

"Let's get to work," he said.

About an hour later, Jethro walked out from the room, his hands behind his back. Elly, Nurse Joy, Lucario, Staraptor, and Blaziken were standing in the lobby waiting for him.

"Ladies and Pokémon, I give you the new and reprogrammed Sinister Spy-Cam," Jethro said, holding out the more angular and durable-looking device in the palm of his hand. It whirred to life and lifted off, flying right out the doors. The group went outside to watch it disappear over the hill.

"Very nice, boss," Blaziken told Jethro.

"Thank you," he said, beaming.

"And what happens when they get it back?" Elly asked. "Or did you just give them a free upgrade?"

"Don't worry, it's only meant to broadcast the signal of their base. As soon as it gets there, _pfft!" _Jethro said as he imitated an explosion with his hands. "It goes up."

"Subtle, Jethro, very subtle," Staraptor told him.

"How big is the explosion?" Elly asked.

"Not too big… just big enough to wipe out a control room," Jethro said calmly.

Elly's eyes widened. "And everyone inside it?"

"No, no, no, no, it's more of an EMP explosion; it only knocks out their computers." Suddenly, the bushes in front of them rustled slightly. Jethro reached for his sword, and Elly grasped hers. Another Lucario jumped out of it, and looked Jethro dead in the eye. He let go of his sword and his shoulders sagged.

"Doesn't anyone know how to approach me in a decent manner these days?" he asked aloud. "Alright, Valin, you can come out now."

A Trainer a little older and slightly shorter than Jethro rose from the bushes and stepped forward. His eyes were sharp and battle-worn, and a bit tired as well. His dark hair was neatly combed to one side. His mouth was stretched into a sly grin, showing his admiration for Jethro's deduction. He had a slender and yet very toned body, hinting further of his skill in the shadows, as well as stealthiness.

"Hello, Jethro," he said, walking forward to give his younger cousin a hug. "How've you been?"

"Well, it could be better; I've been helping beat-up Pokémon get better all day, Elly almost got possessed by a mask, and the creep that was wearing it almost took out the Center," Jethro informed him.

"One guy? It was one guy that nearly took out a Pokémon Center with you and Eloquence defending it?" Valin asked, bewildered.

"Val… this guy used Dark Balls," Jethro said as he dropped his voice. Valin's eyes got wide for a moment, and then became stern and cold.

"Those things were supposed to have been banned."

"Yes, but banned doesn't necessarily mean 'destroyed'," Jethro said as he raised a hand to stop his cousin's protest. "Yes, I know there was a law that said to destroy all Dark Balls and wherever they were being created, but I doubt that the task forces dealing with those facilities were able to destroy every last one of either. There was most likely a few people who hid them and their blueprints away. The Sinister Division is probably the main group behind it, dealing with Team Rocket's Iron Masked Marauder on the sly."

At the mention of the word 'Sinister', Valin's Lucario growled deeply.

"I know, right?" Jethro agreed. "As if what they did in Hoenn Region wasn't bad enough, now they have to strike out against the world!"

"It might not be the world that they're after, you know," Valin stated.

"Well, yeah, I kinda figured that when Staraptor here found that camera," Jethro said.

"You did defeat them in the Hoenn Region, and I'm pretty sure they don't find that flattering."

"Well, it's their own fault for trying to usurp Mount Chimney… again," Jethro said flatly, remembering what Teams Magma and Aqua did to it years ago. "That, and they terrorized the Lavaridge citizens! They should've known that nobody messes with my hometown—and I mean _nobody_," he added.

"Whatever you say, tough guy," Elly smirked. "Meanwhile, while we're waiting for that little camera of yours to respond, don't you think we should get some rest?"

"Fair point," Jethro said. "Anybody wanna play cards before we hit the hay?"

"What game?" Valin asked as they turned to the Pokémon Center.

"Whaddya say to a good game of Murder?" Jethro suggested.

"Oh, sure, nothing like a game with a name that could be our fate to brighten the mood, Wanderer, real smooth," Elly retorted.

"Despite the tongue-twister, I get the point," Jethro said. Elly punched him in the arm. "Ow."

* * *

By the light of the lantern, the small trio of heroes and their Pokémon sat on the floor of their room, putting card after card down on the pile. Valin was currently winning, with only four cards in his hands. Eloquence wasn't having much luck; the constant 4s and 2s weren't being very friendly, increasing the number of cards in her hands each time. Her Lucario was doing fairly well, holding only about 10 or so cards. Valin's Lucario was holding merely three cards, while Jethro and his Blaziken both held five.

"So, Val, what have you been doing these past few days?" Jethro asked him.

"Oh, I've just been traveling hither and yon. I just got back from Unova, actually. I was in Kalos the week before that…" Valin said.

"Ah, Unova," Jethro said. "Good memories. How was Iris?"

"Oh, we had a ball. She actually took me to the Village of Dragons, her hometown!" Val pointed out.

"Really?" Elly asked, surprised. "The Champion of Unova took you to her hometown? How nice!"

"Yeah, she was rather impressed with my Garchomp and asked if I wanted to show some of the younger ones what it was like to battle with one," Val said.

"Right, you were showing the little ones fighting techniques," Jethro said mischievously. "What else did you two do?"

"Oh, cut that out," Val muttered as he put a 7 of spades down. Jethro let out a goofy laugh as Val's Lucario set down a 7 of hearts.

"Well, now wait a second," Jethro said through chuckling, "you were where before Unova? Kalos, you said?"

"That's right."

"I haven't been there yet… I guess that's where I'll be going next after Sinnoh!"

"Hey, don't forget, we need to deal with the Sinister Division first while they're here," Elly pointed out as she laid down two 3s, three aces, and a 6 of clubs. Jethro looked at the pile of cards.

"Hey, nice one. And don't worry, Elly. We'll deal with whatever forces they have left here. Dark Balls or not, they're no match for us," Jethro assured as his Blaziken laid down an 8 of clubs and called the next suit; _"Spades"_. Jethro looked at his hand and groaned. "Really?! The one suit I don't have, and you have to call it!"

_"I know,"_ Blaziken smiled with a grin. Jethro hung his head.

"That thing about Pokémon adapting their Trainer's personality really has bad karma when you're rather ornery," he muttered as his first Pokémon laughed.

"Well, if you fight the enemy as badly as you play cards, we're in real trouble," Valin said as he laid down an ace and a three before claiming "last card" and then laying down a jack of clubs. Elly and Jethro groaned and dropped their cards.

"Again?! That's three times in a row you've won!" Elly remarked.

"Let's call it a night before he owns us even worse," Jethro said as he got up and climbed into the bottom bunk of the boys' beds. Blaziken lay back on the floor and reached for its Poké Ball on Jethro's backpack. It pressed the little white button on the front, enlarging it with a small chirping sound. It pressed it a second time, returning to the inside of the red-and-white capsule.

"It does know it's allowed to sleep out here, right?" Elly asked.

"Elly, we've gone over this before. It knows that very well; it just chooses to go in the Ball on its own accord," Jethro said. "It's not really my choice with him; he just does it on his own."

_"Good to know you have a nice flaw in your Trainer leadership skills,"_ Elly's Lucario said.

"Oh, go to sleep before I let Blaziken back out," Jethro muttered. Lucario laughed as it curled up on Elly's top bunk.

"Good night, folks," Jethro yawned.

"Good night, Jethro," Elly said.

"Good night, Jethro," Val said.

"Good night, Val," Elly added.

"Good night, Elly," Val replied.

Val's Lucario growled softly.

"Good night, Lucario," Elly replied. "Good night, my Lucario," she added.

Her Lucario growled softly back. It then did the same to Val's Lucario, which replied in turn.

"Good grief, what have I started?" Jethro grumbled as he pulled the covers over his head. The others laughed as they finally settled down for the night.

* * *

_Beep-beep, chirp! Beep-beep, chirp!_

"Oh, you gotta be _kidding me!_" Jethro grumbled.

It was merely 3 o' clock in the morning. Jethro reached for his Poketch, pressing the alarm button. The alarm continued its ambient noise. Jethro pushed himself up on the bed.

"Well now, wait a sec," he said. He got out of bed and went to his backpack. He opened the left side pocket and brought out his Poké Nav. Mr. Stone, the head of Devon Corporations, edited the Poké Nav himself specifically for Jethro's needs. He flipped the front of the phone up, and viewed the information on the screen.

"Guys! Wake up! We got a signal from the camera!" Jethro shouted excitedly.

"What, what, what?!" Elly yelped as she jolted awake. Val leapt from his bunk onto the floor, followed by his Lucario. Elly's Lucario sat straight up in its bunk, looking around with alerted senses.

"We've got the location of their base!" Jethro said excitedly. "We know where it is!"

"Really? And where would that be?" Elly asked sleepily. Jethro turned around to show them the screen.

"Looks like we're going to Kalos sooner than expected," Jethro said with a broad smile on his face.


	5. Chapter 5: Special Delivery!

Sunyshore City.

The major port city of Sinnoh, complete with solar panels for power and transportation, and a gigantic light house to illuminate the surrounding region.

The Gym Leader, Volkner, is a powerful Electric-Type Trainer, whom Jethro defeated shortly before challenging the Elite Four. During the time Jethro spent in the city, he and Volkner became good friends. Jethro even got a tour of the lighthouse, and volunteered to make a few simple yet valuable improvements. In return, Volkner told him if there was anything he ever needed, he could call at anytime.

When Volkner answered his phone, the first words he heard were:

"I need your help."

* * *

The warehouse was old, a bit musty, and crawling with Rattata.

The perfect place for a branch hideout.

Two men sat across from each other, playing a card game of War. This was one of the few ways they kept themselves entertained. Nobody came around this place, except for the occasional shipment of the special items. Today's shipment was scheduled to come in about 2:00 in the afternoon.

One of the men checked his watch. 2:25, it read. The shipment was overdue.

"Shouldn't we be concerned about them being late?" the younger one asked. The older one looked away from his watch and back to his hand of cards.

"Nah," he said passively, "the ship probably got delayed; rough waters or something. It's not the first time. Just be patient, it'll be here." His Seviper was settled not too far away from him, laid out on the ground. Though its eyes were closed, it was completely alert. The younger Trainer's Hitmonchan learned that the hard way when it tried to sneak up on it once. Nowadays it kept to its own corner, keeping itself in shape.

As the older Trainer slid a card out of his pile, there was a small knock on the door; three fast, two slow, three fast. The Trainers looked at each other from across the table, the older one grinning.

"See? What'd I tell you?" he smirked. They got up from their seats, and the Seviper lifted itself off the ground. They were only a few yards from the table when the larger door was blasted clear off the hinges. The Trainers raised their arms to shield themselves.

"Jeez, what is the matter with you, huh? Don't you have any…" the older Trainer started. Through the dust, he could see a Metagross and a Luxray standing side by side, along with two Lucarios.

"… patience?" the Trainer finished. He and his younger partner stood with their jaws open, their Pokémon equally shocked.

"Well, I used to have a lot of patience, but you and your… organization have worn it down quite a bit," Jethro said. The dust settled, revealing him standing behind his gold-and-silver partner and next to the Sunyshore Gym Leader himself. Along with his Luxray, Volkner looked very enraged. Eloquence didn't look very pleased, either, but her Lucario was a little more relaxed. Jethro, Valin, and their Pokémon, on the other hand, seemed to be unnervingly calm.

(Although, to be honest, no one could really tell with Metagross, given its natural glare.)

The Seviper was the first to move. It dashed straight towards Luxray with a Poison Tail, knowing it would be ineffective against the other three.

"Iron Tail!" Volkner bellowed. Luxray spun on its left front paw, its tail glowing metallic silver. It slammed right into the Seviper's face, sending it flying to the back wall. Hitmonchan bolted forward, heading straight for Val's Lucario. Its Mach Punch came within a mere centimeter of its target when Lucario suddenly sidestepped it and kicked it into its Trainer. The older Trainer reached for his belt, grasping two Dark Balls. Before he could release his Pokémon, Metagross snatched them away with Psychic, putting them in Jethro's hands. The Wandering Hero's expression turned from calm to disgust and menace as he looked at the older Trainer, who was backing away slowly.

"Sic 'em," Jethro growled. The Trainer bolted for the table. He only took two steps before he felt a thick metal leg slam him from behind and pin him against the wall. His Seviper suddenly darted from the hole in the wall, slithering towards Jethro with incredible speed. Eloquence's Lucario sent it flying back once again with an Aura Sphere, knocking it out. Valin's Lucario used Flash Cannon on the Hitmonchan, knocking it out as well. Jethro walked up to the older Trainer, balancing the two Dark Balls in his hands. He rested his back against the wall and looked him right in the eye.

"So what's your name?" Jethro asked. The Trainer stared at him as if he were insane before stammering his answer.

"I'm- I'm- I'm, uh… Bryan. Name's Bryan."

"Bryan! Nice name… it translates to brave and virtuous, y'know. Tell me, Bryan, what is a brave and virtuous man like you doing with a job like this?" Jethro said in his unmistakable interrogation tone.

"I, uh- I- I just… needed a well-paying job, I guess. I was unemployed, couldn't find work, and some guy came up to me and offered it, I guess."

Jethro raised an eyebrow. "Given your age, you couldn't have been unemployed all your life. What did you do before?"

"I uh- I worked as a security guard at the Pokétch company."

"Really? How the heck did you lose your job _there?!_" Jethro asked, surprised.

"We had a break-in one night, and my leg got broken. They eventually let me go, since I couldn't run as fast anymore."

"Yeah, I could tell by the way you were favoring the leg… After that, I assume you were out of a job for some time, and when the Sinister Division approached you and paid you up front, you couldn't refuse, right?"

"Well, no, actually they threatened to kill my family in Snowpoint City."

Elly winced, sucking air through her teeth. Josh grimaced.

"Ooh… wow… I suppose I wouldn't put that past them, though. Wait, your family is in Snowpoint and you live in Hearthome? I'm not sure I…" he asked.

"Divorced."

"Ah… Sorry to hear that. So you just took the job and did it to the best of your abilities… a good policy, but wrong group. I suppose you want a better job?"

"Sure, that'd be great!"

"I can do that for you. Volkner here can help you, right Volkner?" Jethro asked as he looked to the Gym Leader.

"As long as they don't use my city for one of their supply depots anymore, I'll do whatever I can to help," Volkner said. His eyes looked to the Dark Balls as he spoke. Jethro looked down at his hands.

"Ah, yes, the Dark Balls. Are these your own Pokémon, or were they supplied for you?" he asked the older man.

"Supplied," he replied.

"Good. That way I can do this," he said as he released the Pokémon. They landed behind the others; a Scizor and a Toxicroak. Both of them bolted towards the others, pincers and poisonous knuckle claws bared and glowing with attacks.

Before they could come within a yard of their targets, Jethro sliced the falling Dark Balls with his sword, releasing the sinister grip on the Pokémon. They two stopped in their tracks and blinked, their eyes becoming clear and full.

"You two are free now. Go on; reclaim your new lives," Jethro told them. They looked at each other for a moment, then turned and raced out the fallen door. "You can let the man go now, Metagross," he told his partner. The Iron Leg Pokémon slowly released its grip, allowing the man to brace his leg against his own weight. Metagross then levitated the man's cane to him, placing it in his hand.

"Thank you," the man said. Jethro nodded, and then turned to the younger one.

"Now, what's your name?" he asked a second time.

"Earl," came the reply.

"Translates to 'Chief'… not quite your rightful position there, Earl, eh? Tell me; is this your own Hitmonchan?"

"Yes, it is. I assume you want the Dark Balls I have on me?"

"You assume correctly, as a wise chief would. Fork 'em over, please," Jethro said as he held out his hand. Earl looked to his fainted Hitmonchan, with Valin's Lucario still on top of it. "Nice try, kid. I can see your back already arched so you can reach the back of your belt," Jethro said. Earl grinned.

"Then you know I'm gonna do _this!" _he said as he released his Pokémon.

"Yeah, saw it coming," Jethro muttered to himself as he arched backwards, landed on his hands and flipped onto his feet, landing between Valin and Volkner. He looked over to the two Pokémon Earl had sent out.

His heart nearly sank.

_"__You have _got_ to be pulling my leg,"_ Metagross muttered.

_"__Which one?"_ Eloquence's Lucario asked.

_"__Quiet, you,"_ Metagross growled.

"You two mind focusing for a while?" Jethro intervened. He looked back to the two problems;

A Charizard and a Blaziken stood before them, their eyes dark and contracted. Both were growling deeply, and their characteristic flames were blazing dangerously intense. Charizard had its eyes on the Lucarios, whereas the Blaziken was looking towards Metagross and Luxray.

"This can't be good," Volkner said.

_"__Not for you, at least," _the Blaziken growled, its voice unnervingly dark.

"What'd it say?" Volkner asked Jethro.

"In simple terms, we're in big trouble," Jethro replied. Before anyone else could move, the two dark starters attacked. Charizard blasted both Lucarios with a Flamethrower while Blaziken swiftly knocked Luxray out with a Sky Uppercut. Metagross pinned it against the wall with Psychic.

"Burner! Assistance!" Jethro bellowed as he launched the Poké Ball. The second his Blaziken touched the ground, it bolted right at its sinister counterpart, kicking it right through the wall. Metagross turned its Psychic attack towards Charizard, slamming it hard into the ground. Thankfully, Valin's Lucario had created a large Aura Sphere to protect itself and its partners. It looked back to Eloquence's Lucario.

It was paralyzed with fear. The Flamethrower had reminded it of the Houndooms from when it was a Riolu. Its eyes were wide with horror.

"Elly, call your Lucario back! I can handle this!" Valin shouted as he reached for a Master Ball attached to his belt. Elly rushed over and grabbed her Lucario just before Charizard unleashed another Flamethrower. She carried it behind the table, which was turned on its side. Lucario growled softly, choking back tears.

"It's alright, Lucario, it's alright… I'm here," Eloquence comforted. She took a moment before yelling over the table. "Get 'em, Val!"

"Go, Zapdos!" he yelled. The Legendary Electric Pokémon settled between Charizard and the others, glaring menacingly at its opponent. Volkner stood awestruck, his mouth hanging open.

"Incredible," he said.

"Eh… you kinda get used to it," Jethro said indifferently as he stepped through the hole that the Blazikens went through. He expected to see his Burner standing over the fainted dark Blaziken. Instead he came upon a much different scene.

The dark Blaziken had Burner's arm twisted behind its back.

"Dude… what are you doing?" Jethro asked, dumbfounded. Burner looked up at him with an embarrassed, sheepish grin.

_"__You are _not_ gonna believe what reason I have for this,"_ he said. Jethro crossed his arms.

"Try me."

_"__The, uh… Blaziken behind me is- whoa!" _Burner was lifted and thrown forward, landing on its back right on front of Jethro.

"Don't tell me…" Jethro started, realizing the expression on Burner's face.

_"__Yep,"_ Burner replied, looking back up at its opponent. _"That's a female."_ Looking at the dark Pokémon, Jethro noticed the telltale signs of gender difference: the feathers on this Blaziken's head were shorter than Burner's.

"Well… that's problematic," Jethro admitted. "I don't suppose you're accustomed to hitting females?"

_"__Nope."_

"You kinda like this one, don't you?" The dark Blaziken darted forward, grabbing Burner's legs.

_"__You could say that,"_ it said as it was thrown across the dock. _"She has a certain, you know, _jena se qua _about _her-!" The dark Blaziken delivered a ferocious kick to Burner's abdomen, causing all the air to evacuate from his lungs. Jethro winced.

"Yeah, I noticed," he muttered. He brought up his Pokétch and typed in a command. A Dowsing Machine app was activated, scanning the surrounding are for the specific item. The screen indicated it was located to his left.

"Ah, there you… are…" he said as he looked to his left, only to see a large water tank.

Right where the dark Blaziken's Dark Ball was shown on the screen.

"Well, that's just great," he muttered as he heard Zapdos unleash a powerful Thunderbolt upon Charizard. He bolted for the tank, scrambling up the ladder. Meanwhile, Burner was trying to avoid a number of Fire Punches and Sky Uppercuts from his new dancing partner.

_"__Anytime, Jethro!"_ Burner called to his Trainer. The distraction gave the female the opportune window to land a Sky Uppercut right to his jaw. Burner was slammed into the side of the water tank. He slowly got up, rubbing his jaw. _"Not quite used to being on the other end of that attack,"_ he muttered. He looked up to see the female racing towards him with incredible speed. _"Oh, Aerial Ace, huh? This is gonna hurt,"_ Burner said as it braced itself for a super-effective hit.

Suddenly, there was a sharp _thump _against the barrel next to him. Burner opened its eyes to see the dazed female Blaziken holding her head. Two broken halves of a Dark Ball fell to the ground right between them. Both Blazikens looked up to see Jethro clinging to the ladder, scimitar in hand.

"You're welcome," he said with a grin.

_"__Kinda cutting it close, aren't you, boss?"_ Burner chuckled.

"Oh, I dunno, I think I timed that pretty well," Jethro grinned. All of a sudden the dark Charizard was hurled through the wall, bouncing across the pier. Zapdos flew after it, its claws outstretched. Before the Charizard could get to its legs and fly away, Zapdos grabbed its neck and right wing and flew into the sky. It tried to land several attacks on Zapdos, but none of them could hit their mark. Zapdos flew high, almost reaching the dark clouds above.

"Alright, Zapdos… use Thunder!" Valin bellowed. Zapdos released Charizard, throwing it closer to the clouds. It spread its spiked wings, and an electric current surged through them. The clouds above began to rumble, and suddenly a bolt of electricity came down and struck Zapdos. Charizard expected the bolt to harm Zapdos, but the wielder of thunderclouds looked to be enjoying the electric treatment! Its beak twisted into a small grin, the Electric Pokémon let loose the charged attack. The massive bolt of lightning slammed into Charizard, the super-effective attributes causing Charizard to roar out in great pain.

Jethro looked over to Burner and noticed that the female Blaziken had somewhat hid behind him. Burner looked down and then over to Jethro, with an expression that said "Is there anything you can do about that?" Jethro gave a small nod, put his finger and thumb in his mouth, and whistled sharp and loud. The harsh noise reached Zapdos, causing it to look down and cease its attack. Charizard started to fall, its tail almost extinguished. The female Blaziken acted swiftly, dashing from behind Blaziken and leaping onto the top of the warehouse. It then leapt from the building like a rocket from a launching pad, soaring through the sky and catching its partner in midair. Burner leapt from where it stood, soaring right up to help its significant other. Together they both landed on the ground skillfully, their knees bending to compensate their velocity. They set Charizard on the ground gently, the female holding its tail up.

"Let me see if I have a Revive and Full Restore," Jethro said, swinging his backpack around and kneeling by the downed starter. "Hey, Elly! Volkner! Did you guys get his Dark Ball yet?" he yelled to their friends in the warehouse.

"We got it, Jethro!" Volkner yelled back.

"Toss it out here," Valin said as he walked over to the large hole in the wall. He caught the Dark Ball and then threw it to Jethro. "Batter up!" he yelled, and Jethro stood up, swung his sword, and cut the Dark Ball clean in two. He then immediately went back to healing the Charizard.

"So why did you act so swiftly to help your friend, may I ask?" Jethro said to the female Blaziken. It looked to Burner, who nodded in confirmation of his Trainer's trust.

_"__Well, we girls have to stick together, right?" _it said to Jethro. He looked up, his eyebrows raised.

"Both are female? Very interesting," he said as he applied the Revive to the Charizard, immediately followed by the Full Restore. "There. She should be fine in no time. In the meantime," Jethro said as he stood up and looked over to the main port, "we have a plane-boat to catch." Before he returned his Metagross and Burner to their respective Poké Balls, he looked to the female Blaziken.

"I don't suppose you've been to Kalos before, have you?" he asked.


	6. Chapter 6: Meet Professor Sycamore

"Status report!" Sinestra bellowed.

Smoke billowed from each computer in the base, and fires were ablaze in almost every room. The camera had made its planned arrival, and had transmitted the location of the base just as planned before it unleashed a massive EMP burst, rendering nearly every electrical device useless. Communications throughout the base seemed to be operational, seeing as how every person on the base heard their leader's furious voice over the loudspeakers.

"All systems seem to be down, Mistress!" one of the analysts said over his personal headset. "All except for communications within the base, that is. It is currently unclear if we have any contact with our outside forces at the moment-"

"Then double-check and make certain!" Sinestra growled. "Or your next position on this team will be a live target in the field!"

"Yes, Mistress!" the analyst said quickly.

"I can't believe that even my top engineers didn't think to protect our systems against attack such as this!" Sinestra said to herself as she sat back in her chair and put two fingers to her temple. She suddenly got the eerie feeling she was being watched. She whirled around in her chair, activating the headlights on the front of the armrests.

"Show yourself!" she shouted. For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of distant workers trying to stop the fires. Then…

"You seem a little paranoid today, Sinestra," a low voice said. "Afraid the big, bad, Jethro is going to come out of the shadows and strike you down?"

Sinestra jumped about five inches off the seat and then angled the headlights to the ceiling. Clinging to the smooth metal surface was a man clad in dark grey, with black armor covering his arms and forelegs. His black cloak hid his face, allowing nothing but his evil sneer to be seen. Sinestra relaxed- barely.

"The Hunter. Figures that you'd come to me through the shadows," she said. "What took you so long to get here?"

The Hunter deactivated his magnetic grip and dropped silently to the floor below. "I was doing my job as you had asked, my Mistress," he said, and held out two round stones. One about as big as a marble, attached to a necklace; the other was a quarter of the size of a basketball.

"With this, Jethro's Pokémon will never know what hit them,' he said. Sinestra could tell he was smiling, even though his face was completely cloaked. Sinestra put the necklace on, grinned, and said,

"Ensure that he receives a proper welcome upon arrival to our region."

* * *

"I still don't quite see why we had to bring the other Blaziken along, Jethro," Elly stated for the third time.

"I've told you before, and I will say it again, I'm not sending her to my parents until we fully trust each other," Jethro said as he turned to see the two Fire-Types staring out the window.

"Eh, she seems to trust Burner a substantial amount," Valin said from his seat behind them.

"Gee. I wonder why," Elly said with a heavily sarcastic voice.

"Look, I know she trusts my Pokémon, and she may therefore trust me a little, but I want to be 100% certain I can trust her. And yes," he said, raising a hand to stop Elly from arguing, "I know I destroyed the Dark Ball and haven't technically caught her yet, but I need her to gain my trust as well before I can do that."

"Fair point," Elly admitted, turning back to a magazine.

"Which may take a while before ever happening, Jethro, I mean look at what you carry around all the time!" Valin pointed out. "A sword that could cut you if you possibly looked at it wrong!"

"It's not _that _sharp, Val. That only happens when I'm aiming for a long-distance target," Jethro claimed.

"You've cleaved through an entire _boulder _in one swing. It's unusually sharp for a sword," Elly stated.

"Like your guys' are any _less _sharp?" Jethro said. Elly looked at the back of the seat in front of her for a moment.

"Good point," she said after a while.

"So who is this 'special Trainer' we're meeting at the docks?" Val asked.

"That, my dear cousin, would be Riley, the Aura Trainer. He's been in Kalos recently, checking up on a new form of evolution. It's something that's been recently discovered in the region, and has apparently made quite a breakthrough in Pokémon studies. Professor Birch even said something about it when I saw him a week or two ago… what was it called, uhh…?" Jethro pondered.

All of a sudden, the intercom of the plane dinged throughout the entire cabin.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we will be landing here momentarily, so if you would please return to your seats, fasten your seatbelts, and return your trays to the upright position, please, we may begin our descent," the main flight attendant said. Jethro took his plastic cup and his napkin off of his tray and did as he was asked. Eloquence put her magazine back into its pouch, and Val returned his seat to its regular position. Within moments, the plan began to descend back to Earth.

"Excuse me, Mr. Striker?"

Jethro jumped in his seat. A flight attendant had suddenly appeared next to him, carrying a black heavy-duty briefcase. Two more attendants stood on either side of her, carrying identical cases. The one on her left was looking at Elly, whilst the one on the right managed to make eye contact with Val.

"Uhh… may I help you, ma'am?" Jethro asked, realizing that his hand had instinctively moved toward his sword.

"Professor Birch received these from Professor Sycamore in the Kalos Region, and it was requested from both of them that they get to you as soon as possible," the attendant said, handing him the case. "For the sake of your safety, and the safety of this cargo, please wait until you arrive in the airport to open the cases. We apologize for not getting these to you sooner, Striker and Company," she said, and all three attendants bowed simultaneously and left.

The three exchanged looks of bewilderment.

"'Jethro and Company'?" Elly asked.

"We were just handed three black briefcases containing an unknown cargo by three flight attendants- who I'm not entirely sure are even legitimate attendants as is- at apparently _two _Pokémon Professors' requests at a very odd time, and _that's _your main concern?! 'Jethro and Company'?!" Jethro hissed.

"I'm just saying, I don't recall having that title following us around," Elly shrugged.

"That's probably because it just caught up with us," Val muttered. Jethro rolled his eyes and glanced over to the Blazikens. Both of them were giving him a confused look, to which he merely shrugged and mouthed, "I have no idea" to them.

*xXx*

The plane landed smoothly and coasted to the docks. The door opened, and the passengers began the usual scramble for luggage and the door. Jethro and the others were the last to depart from the plane. All the way to the airport lobby, the team's eyes were scanning every person that they met or passed. As soon as they found a secluded spot, they knelt down and set their cases on the floor.

"So… what do we suppose is in these?" Elly asked.

_"A bomb?" _Burner suggested.

"Subtle," Jethro muttered.

"What'd he say?" Elly asked.

"Bomb," Jethro relayed.

"Ah," Val said.

"If it's from the Professors, it can't be anything _that _serious," Jethro assured.

"How do we know it's from a Professor at all?" Elly asked.

"Because _I'm _the one who sent those to you all in the first place!" a cheerful voice said from behind Jethro. Once again, his hand went instinctively to his sword, and he whirled around to find the source of the voice.

A tall man with long, wavy black hair, kind and gentle blue eyes, and a heartwarming smile stood with his hands in the air. The sleeves of his white lab coat were rolled up to his elbows, revealing a red bracelet on his left wrist. His purple shirt's collar rested on the collar of the lab coat. He wore a yellow double-D-buckle belt around a pair of black jeans, and brown buckle-shoes with red socks.

Jethro looked at him for a moment before finally asking,

"Professor Sycamore, I presume?"

The man smiled widely. "Yes, sir! And I would like to personally welcome you, Mr. Jethro Striker, Eloquence, and Valin, to the Kalos Region! And I wish to extend my welcome to… erm…" the Professor trailed off. His eyes went from one Blaziken to the other. "Which one is 'Burner?'" he asked.

The male Fire-Type raised a claw and waved.

"Ah, yes- welcome, Burner, as well as your female friend, to Kalos!" the Professor said with open arms. Both Pokémon blushed.

"They just met," Jethro explained. "Uh, Professor, what exactly is in these cases?" he asked, gesturing to the briefcases on the ground.

"Ah! I'm pleased to see you received them! Yes, I'll be glad to show you all," he said. He reached into his left pocket and brought out a plastic card. It had a profile picture of him on the front, and a silver coating on the back. He knelt down to the cases and touched the silver backside to each of the lids.

As soon as all three of them were unlocked, the lids simultaneously raised. Inside each of them were several differently colored orbs, each placed in uniquely-designed metal pieces of equipment. Each orb had a uniquely-colored core inside of it, not unlike a cat's eye marble. Nearest to the hinges in each case was a smaller orb, also placed in a special sort of metal accessory. In Jethro's case was a badge, similar in shape to the one on his shirt. In Eloquence's was a silver-and-gold ring, with the orb harnessed at the top of it. Valin's case held a bracelet, with the orb at its crest.

"These," Professor Sycamore said, "are Mega Stones. Research has revealed that these, when held by certain Pokémon, enable Pokémon to reach an entirely new level of evolution that we call Mega Evolution. Mega Evolution, apart from changing the Pokémon's appearance, and occasionally its type, also boosts the Pokémon's stats significantly! This form of evolution was discovered here, in the Kalos Region, with a Lucario many years ago."

Valin and Eloquence looked at each other, and then to Jethro, grinning.

"Yeah, yeah, lucky you two," he said as he rolled his eyes.

"Of course, Mega Evolution," Professor Sycamore continued with a smile, "cannot be achieved unless there is a strong bond between Trainer and Pokémon. That is the relevance of these," he said, gesturing to the accessories. "The orbs you see in the accessories are called Key Stones, which activate Mega Evolution. Each of these was crafted especially just for the three of you and your Pokémon."

"I assume you're referring to the uh… accessories, if you can call them that… with the Mega Stones in them?" Valin inquired.

"Precisely, Valin!" the Professor beamed. "Jethro's arsenal consists of Blazikenite, Metagrossite, Tyranitarite, and Garchompite. We haven't yet discovered anything for your Torterra or your Rayquaza, I'm sorry to say… Valin, yours consists of a Lucarionite, a Garchompite as well, and, decided by researching your team, a Latiosite! Eloquence, yours is also a Lucarionite! I also took the liberty of putting in a Blastoisinite Mega Stone, in case you-"

"Squirtle's just fine as it is, thank you," Elly replied quickly.

"Keep it as a gift, then," the professor smiled.

"Trust me, she and I have had that conversation several times already, and I have gained absolutely _no _ground on it," Jethro said. "By the way, I don't suppose you've seen a man by the name of Riley? Has a Lucario, dressed in blue, wears a kinda pointy hat… black hair? He was supposed to meet us at the docks, but I never saw-"

A sudden explosion outside interrupted Jethro before he could finish his question. All heads turned to see a cloud of smoke beginning to billow out of a storage hangar near the docks. A Lucario carried a dark-haired man clad in a blue jacket out of the building, running right towards Jethro and the others.

"Never mind, I found him," Jethro said, and dashed out the door. "Garchomp, Metagross, Blaziken! Assistance!" he shouted as he tossed the respective Poké Balls into the air. All three Pokémon landed next to each other, an equal distance between Riley and their own Trainer.

"Metagross, get those two over here! Burner, Garchomp, provide cover fire!" Jethro bellowed. Immediately the Pokémon complied. Metagross used Psychic to levitate the escapees to safety, while the other two leapt over them, providing a two-Pokémon wall of defense.

"We've… got to get out of here," Riley coughed.

"Thanks for the understatement of the day, buddy, but that's what we're working on!" Eloquence remarked as she ran to Jethro's side.

"No… we have to run… _now!" _the Aura Trainer groaned as he struggled to stand.

"Whoa there, take it slow, Riley," Val said gently as he caught Riley before he fell. "What do we have to run from so badly?"

_"My guess would be them," _Garchomp said.

All eyes turned to the smoking hangar. Four figures were slowly making their way out in the open. The two in the middle seemed to be levitating Pokémon of some sort… but Jethro didn't recognize their shadows.

"Identify yourselves!" Jethro hollered at them.

"We're what you call… a shadow team," the Trainer on the left said.

"A specialized strike team, if you will," said the other.

_"A bit vague, but it's a start," _Garchomp muttered.

"Let me make an educated, more definitive guess… you're a welcoming party from Sinestra herself?" Jethro said, crossing his arms. There was a moment's silence. Then the Trainer on the left stepped through the smoke. She was a blonde-haired Trainer, sporting a gray-and-gold jacket with vibrant magenta shorts and matching gloves.

"Perceptive as ever, Wanderer," she said, giving no effort to hide her irritation.

"Just makes the fight all the more interesting, if you ask me," her counterpart said energetically as he stepped forward. His spiky red hair was parted in the front at three points, like the top of a star shape. He wore some sort of visor, in the same shape, but a charcoal grey and more squat than spiky. His jacket matched his red hair perfectly while sporting grey shoulder pads as well, small and pointed as opposed to round and broad. His shins were protected by some sort of red armor, covering his silver jeans. The gloves he wore were mostly red, but seemed to be silver on the palms.

"A bit flashy for a _shadow _team, wouldn't you say?" Professor Sycamore remarked.

"Flashy, maybe… but coordinated nonetheless," the female Trainer said.

As if on cue, the two Pokémon came forward. Jethro and his team couldn't believe their eyes.

"What in the world…?" Val said.

"That would be an example of Mega Evolution, my friends," Sycamore said. "The one you see on your left is a Mega Banette, and the other is a Mega Scizor."

Mega Banette was a bit similar to its normal self, but its color was more of a dark charcoal gray instead of a normal gray. Its face was the same, except for an additional zipper running from its right eyebrow and spiraling to the tip of its long tuft. Its arms and legs seemed as if they bulged and unzipped themselves, revealing three vibrant magenta fingers and equally vibrant legs. As it floated, its head bobbed from side to side eerily, highlighting its Ghost-Type characteristics.

Mega Scizor, on the other hand, was very different from its usual self, apart from the virtually identical wings. Its face had an additional crest on its brow, dark grey in color, and matching its Trainer's visor. Its eyes were a bright blue color instead of the usual yellow, and its shoulders and hips sported gray rounded pads of sorts, coming to a rounded point at the tops. Its legs had become singular post-like limbs. Its most notable change, however, was in its claws. They were elongated, gaining more claws and spikes on the bottom claws, which had become a silver-gray color.

"Holy cannoli," Jethro remarked.

"No need to praise a dessert food, Jethro," Eloquence said. Her Lucario promptly elbowed her in the leg.

"But we will accept whatever praise you can offer _us!"_ the Trainer in red laughed as he made a mock bow. He then quickly stood back, looking to his Mega Scizor. "X-Scissor," he commanded. The Steel- and Bug-Type dashed towards Burner, crossing its arms in preparation to slash.

_"Yeah, like that's gonna do much," _Burner chuckled.

"Remember, buddy, Sycamore said that their powers are boosted when Mega evolved!" Jethro called over.

_"Do you have exact stats on it?" _Burner asked quickly.

"Not yet," Jethro said as he took out his specialized PokéDex.

_"In that case, I'll improvise," _Burner said, and rushed the Mega Scizor.

What happened next occurred in a matter of seconds.

As soon as Mega Scizor's claws began to glow and move to strike, Burner leaned back and slid below it, avoiding the attack completely. He then reached up, clutched its legs, stood up, and spun it back into its Trainer.

"Always a klutz," the female Trainer muttered. "Shadow Claw, Mega Banette," she calmly commanded. Claws of smoky shadows grew from the Mega Banette's own claws, and it floated rapidly towards Burner.

_"Your turn, Garchomp!" _Burner called as it somersaulted backwards through the air.

"Use Crunch!" Jethro shouted. Garchomp rushed forward with incredible speed, his jaws open wide. Mega Banette's eyes went wide, and threw its claws in front to protect itself. Garchomp promptly Crunched right through them, and then clamped onto Mega Banette's head.

"Shadow Claw again!" its Trainer shouted frantically.

"Catch it with Dragon Claw!" Jethro yelled. As Mega Banette's claws reformed, Garchomp's own claws extended with a bright green energy. Mega Banette thrust its claws forward, but Garchomp promptly blocked them with his own. He then released its opponent's head, and Crunched down on its claws, causing the energy to feed back and explode. While Garchomp remained unharmed, Mega Banette flew back to its Trainer, de-evolving back into its original self and landing in its Trainer's arms.

"Had enough yet?" Jethro shouted.

"Here's your answer!" the Trainer in red bellowed. "Flash Cannon!"

His Mega Scizor leapt into the air and opened its right pincer. A white-and-silver orb began to form within it, and almost immediately erupted from within, heading straight for Garchomp at incredible speed.

_"Ah, crud," _Garchomp muttered.


	7. Chapter 7: A Special Connection

_**Author's Note:**_

_**After a ridiculous amount of time, I realized that I had not yet given a physical description of Jethro himself, or any of the other OC's. I apologize for the delay, but trust me, I'll make up for it at the end of the chapter!**_

_**Thanks for following, and enjoy!**_

* * *

The Flash Cannon slammed into the pier. Garchomp had leapt back just in time to avoid the attack, but its opponent was just as quick. Mega Scizor adjusted its aim, landing a direct hit on Garchomp, sending him flying back towards Jethro.

**_"_****_Garchomp!" _**Jethro and his Pokémon yelled. Jethro ran forward, catching his nimble Dragon-Type in his arms and sliding back to the others. Jethro knelt down and examined his friend.

"C'mon, buddy, are you alright?" he asked frantically. Garchomp looked up and grinned.

_"__Hey, it takes more than a lousy Flash Cannon to get rid of me, boss,"_ came the cocky response. _"But I will admit, that one did kinda hurt."_ He leapt out of Jethro's arms, brushing his arms off. _"Now I feel like hurting 'em back real good,"_ he growled. Jethro nodded, and stood back up.

"Feel like giving Mega Evolution a go?" he asked his partner.

_"__Bring it," _Garchomp sneered.

"Burner, hold that thing off while I get us set up," Jethro said. The Blaze Pokémon nodded and leapt up, tackling the Mega Scizor out of the sky. Clutching it by the claws to avoid another attack, Burner planted a foot in the center of its chest and kicked hard, sending the opponent hurtling down into the docks, creating a small crater as it landed.

Jethro took off his backpack, brought out the Mega Stone case, and opened it. He put on his badge accessory and grabbed the collar with the Garchompite embedded in the front of it.

"You ready?" Jethro asked as he placed the collar on his Pokémon's neck and connected the latch in the back.

_"__Let's do this," _the jet-like Dragon-Type nodded.

"Burner! Come on back!" Jethro shouted. Burner leapt back, landing just behind his Trainer. "Now, Garchomp," Jethro said, tapping his Mega Badge, "Mega Evolve!" Streams of light erupted from the Key Stone, as well as from the Garchompite. They seemed to dance about for a short moment, and then each and every stream connected. Garchomp was enveloped in a burst of light, and let out a loud roar, vibrating the ground. The light dissipated, and Garchomp stood Mega Evolved, much larger and more angular. Five spikes protruded from both sides of his abdomen, red spikes had grown from its knees, and two more spikes had grown from the bottom of each bicep. The fins on Garchomp's tail had elongated and curved back, and its dorsal fin had lengthened and gained an extra nick. His head was much more angular, the star on its nose had gained an additional point, and its jaw was much more pointed. The most impressive change, however, was that its claws had morphed into large red scythe-like blades. The collar with the Mega Stone seemed to have disappeared, strangely enough.

Garchomp examined itself, his eyes wide with awe.

_"__Oh, now… _that's _just awesome!" _he mused. He then whipped his head around to the Mega Scizor, which was staggering to get up from its crater, and grinned. The Mega Scizor froze, visibly shaking.

"Dragon Claw," Jethro said.

_"__Oh, _heck _yeah!"_ Garchomp laughed. Green energy enveloped his new blades, and thrusting forward with its powerful legs, rushed Mega Scizor. The Bug-and-Steel-Type had become paralyzed with fear.

"Get out of the way!" its Trainer yelled.

"Too late," Jethro said, and Garchomp's attack hit home. The energy caused a small explosion, and Mega Scizor was slammed into its Trainer, knocking him unconscious. It reverted back to its normal form as it lay next to him, the battle being won. Garchomp then reverted back as well, and flew back to Jethro and the others.

"Well, that was sure a short trial run!" Professor Sycamore mused.

"That's what happens with Jethro and his Pokémon," Valin said. "Any time they take an attack without intending to tank it, or if one of them gets severely hurt, they go all-out. The opponent usually doesn't last too long when they get that pumped."

"What happens when they get angry?" Sycamore asked as Jethro made his way over to the defeated Team Sinister Trainers.

"Running for cover is usually recommended," Eloquence said. Sycamore raised his eyebrows and looked towards Jethro.

"Truly a force to be reckoned with," he muttered.

"And then you get this trio together," Riley said from his resting place atop Jethro's Metagross. "That's when you _really _need to be running." Sycamore looked at the other two with an expression that was a cross between impressed and horrified.

"He's exaggerating, Professor," Valin assured him. "It's only criminals that have to worry about us."

"So I've seen," he muttered.

"Now let me make this as explicitly clear as possible," Jethro said, walking up to the female Trainer as she tried to get her partner to wake up. He stood over them, and she looked up with a new look of fear in her eyes. "You tell Sinestra that I have arrived in Kalos safe and sound. I tend to do a little exploring around the region, so if she wants to, she can send grunt after grunt to attack us; it'll be more training for us, which we could always use. You tell her that you lost, not because you were pathetic in battle—which, frankly, you kinda are—but because we now possess the ability to Mega Evolve our Pokémon. You tell her that wherever we may be, whatever time of day, we will be ready for her; if she plans on capturing or killing us, she better be ready for one heck of a fight. Because, whether you believe it or not," he growled in her face as he checked the screen of his vibrating Poké Nav, "we actually have friends here in Kalos." He looked back at the female Trainer. _"Comprende?"_ he asked lowly. The female nodded quickly. "Good," Jethro said. "Now get out of my sight," he growled. The young lady dashed over to her partner, grabbed his Poké Ball, and returned his Scizor. She then ran back into the building they had emerged from, dragging her partner along. After a moment, the roar of a motorboat came from within, and it zoomed out of the pier. After it went out about a half a mile, Jethro turned back and walked to the others.

"So what do we do now, Jethro?" Valin asked. "Riley still needs to get to a hospital."

"Well, what the heck are we still here for?" Jethro asked. "Let's get a move on!"

"I'm afraid I don't have enough room in my vehicle to get us all there," Sycamore said.

"Riley's top priority right now," Jethro said, putting the Aura Trainer's arm around his neck and taking his weight. "Take him and his Lucario to the hospital; we'll make our way through town and see what we can find to do."

"What about the reason I asked you here?" Riley groaned.

"You can give me a call when you've fully recovered, Riley," Jethro reassured. "We'll discuss what you planned for us afterwards."

"By the way, would you like me to take your female Blaziken with me to my Lab?" Sycamore offered, mentioning to the female Pokémon, who had been hiding behind Eloquence the entire time. "I can look after her while you're on your journey."

Jethro looked to the other Blaziken. "Would you be alright with that?" he asked. The Blaziken nodded, and moved to take Riley's extra weight. "Good luck, you two," Jethro said, "and take care of each other."

_"You, too," _the female said. The three turned away and walked through the airport, carrying Riley to Professor Sycamore's car. Jethro took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"You three did a good job today," he said to his Pokémon, and pressed the buttons on each of their Poké Balls. "Return and get some rest." All three Pokémon returned to their designated capsules, and Jethro shrunk them back down. He turned to his partners. "So! Where should we begin in Kalos?" he asked them.

"How about the Pokémon Center? I could use a shower," Elly said, moving her shirt in discomfort.

"Yes, I think that's a rather wise decision," Val agreed. "I just hope it isn't too far from here."

"From what I saw from the plane, I think it's only about a three-block walk," Jethro said.

"Last one there's a Slowpoke!" Elly laughed and dashed off, the automatic glass doors barely able to open fast enough for her. Jethro and Val bolted right after her, Val managing to get somewhat of a head start.

"Elly, ya little stinker!" Jethro laughed after her.

"That's why we're heading for the showers!" Val smirked. Jethro burst out laughing, falling behind Val even further.

"Valin, you little rascal!" he guffawed, barely able to keep up.

* * *

"So you failed to subdue him?" Sinestra asked coldly. The two Trainers from the docks knelt before her, reporting their failure.

"We're sorry, Lady Sinestra," Seth said. "He defeated us with greater speed than we could accommodate for."

"You two had Mega Evolved Pokémon," their leader said. "I fail to see how that couldn't have at least gotten you an edge on him."

"His Garchomp defeated me by deflecting my attacks with Dragon Claw and then using Crunch on Banette itself," the female responded.

"Using type advantage against you," Sinestra said, nodding slowly. "That's Jethro for you, Brittany," she told the female Trainer. "Always using his head and wits, not just his power."

"He still used that, too," Seth said. "He now has the ability to Mega Evolve his own Pokémon."

Sinestra sat forward, her gaze fixed on Seth, giving him chills. "He has his own arsenal of Mega Stones?" she asked. "How did this happen?"

"I believe that would be thanks to Professor Sycamore," The Hunter said, stepping out from behind her. All eyes looked to the dark man. "He has friends in many places, and they've all been on the search for Mega Stones around the globe."

"That man," Sinestra growled. She looked to her screens, which had been repaired along with most of their secret base. She activated a map of Kalos, and brought up a picture of it central city. "He's interfered with me for far too long," she muttered, and turned to The Hunter. "Do what you do best," she said. The dark figure bowed, turned, and disappeared. Sinestra turned back to her lackeys. "Now, did Jethro say where he was going?" she asked them.

* * *

Jethro stepped out of the shower, his towel wrapped around his waist. This Pokémon Center had very prestigious bathrooms, equipped with a washer and dryer in the same room. His clothes were currently drying, and were almost done with the final cycle. His backpack and other accessories lay on a bench near the door. The Mega Stone briefcase was closed, the other stones yet to be equipped to their respective Pokémon. Jethro walked over and picked up his Mega Badge. It looked exactly like the design he had embroidered into his backpack and shirts. Professor Sycamore had apparently used some photos of him to make a matching accessory. _Very clever of him, _Jethro thought. The button of the Poké Ball had been replaced with the Key Stone, which was inlaid to the badge itself. Jethro brought it over to the sink, set it down on the nearby counter, and looked in the mirror.

It had been awhile since he had taken a moment to view his own reflection. He was slightly over the average height for someone in his early twenties. His brown hair was short and wavy, with blond highlights. His short goatee and triangular soul patch needed to be trimmed a little, so he went to his single-strap, grey-with-cerulean-borders backpack and dug for his trimmer. He went back to the mirror and turned the device on, cutting his overgrown facial hair down to a more reasonable and less barbaric appearance. He grabbed the face towel that was neatly folded on the rack next to the sink and rinsed the straying hairs off. He sighed and put his hands on the sink, letting it take some of his weight. He looked up into the reflection of his eyes.

Sometimes knowing oneself isn't as simple as going over the daily habits. Sometimes you have to look within yourself and stand back, re-evaluating everything since the last time you did and figuring out how to improve, or choosing to. Jethro looked into his cerulean-blue eyes and saw a lot of things: experience, pain, strength, anger—almost rage, at times—a warrior's spirit.

No, he thought. Not just a warrior. Sure, he had the skills and body of a warrior, but he was no battle machine. He was never power-hungry or itching for war. He merely knew how to fight, how to battle, and when to do it.

More than anything, he was a human. He had a mind, a soul, feelings... he cared a lot about people and Pokémon alike. His partners were like family to him. He wasn't a big fan of death, but he would risk his life to save the lives of others if needed.

The dryer let out a sharp chime, snapping Jethro from his evaluating trance. He went over and took out a set of warm and dry underwear, put them on, and then took out his navy blue cargo jeans. The right leg felt much heavier than it should have, causing Jethro's heart to leap to his neck.

"Oh, please, no!" he said frantically, and unzipped the pocket. He dove his hand into it, and brought out his favorite piece of equipment: his custom-made Pokédex. It resembled a Poké Ball in design, but the left and right sides were angular to allow the panel flaps on top to hinge regularly. Jethro placed his right thumb on the black pad located on the side facing him and pressed. Surprisingly, the panels shifted upon themselves and folded out, allowing the button of the Poké Ball to flip up on its own panel and face forward. The screen lit up, and displayed its programmed greeting: Hello, Jethro. A voice spoke the words from the small speaker on the right of the finger pad. Jethro relaxed, exhaling deeply.

"Reflexes," Jethro said to himself aloud. "Forgot I built it for all environments." He shook the rest of the water off the device and set it down on the bench. He put his jeans on, and then went back to the dryer to get out and put on his blue polo shirt, with his signature badge embroidered on the left breast side. His socks and everything else he put in a carry-hamper, and slung his backpack on. He stopped, went back, and folded the face towel back up. He then opened the door, shut off the lights, and set everything on his bed just next to the bathroom door. He hadn't expected Coumarine City to have such luxurious accommodations. Then again, after hearing about the Gym Leader Ramos, it wouldn't surprise him if someone was inspired by such kindness to do something like this for the community.

The Poké Nav in his backpack's strap pocket began to ring. Undoing the Velcro flap, Jethro brought out the grey-and-blue device and pressed and held the button with the phone icon on it, putting it on speaker mode.

"Hello?" he said in a singsong tone.

* * *

Eloquence stepped out of her bathroom, laundry basket in hand. She had a large grey towel wrapped around her from her armpits down, and her light brown hair was still air-drying out. It fell over her right shoulder both in the front and back. A small strand hung in front of her face, and on her left her hair naturally curled underneath her jaw. Her emerald green eyes sparkled in the sunlight as she looked out the window. The view of the Gym Leader's pasture was magnificent! The Grass-Types were grazing gently, as their Type was known to do. Elly smiled to herself, closed the curtains, and went to her laundry basket. She took off her towel and put her underwear on. As she was putting her purple undershirt on, she glanced at her Mega Ring on her bedside desk. To think that Pokémon could actually evolve further from their final stage of evolution! All with the help of a small round stone. It was incredible! To think that her little Lucario could evolve even further! Her parents would be so ecstatic if they could see her now.

She thought of them often… She missed them every waking minute of every day. Following the example of Lucario when it was younger, she learned to be an exquisite tracker, and that was usually the way she had to find Jethro, since the little bugger hardly ever made regular calls. Then again, he did get several calls a day from different kinds of people, from professors to his girlfriend. Eloquence was very happy for the two of them; some days she wondered how he actually managed to end up dating the daughter of a Gym Leader. Felicia was quite gifted, in more ways than one. Elly was never sure if he let her or not, but she actually managed to defeat Jethro at least once in battle. And yet he was still smiling from ear to ear and holding her close to him afterwards. That man had quite a heart.

_Still, he could call his best friends once in a while, _Eloquence thought to herself as she slipped her purple blouse over her head. She took her jeans and put them on next. They fit comfortably loosely, so not to restrict her movement in battle.

Just as she was putting her socks and brown running shoes on, she heard a commotion down the hall. She grabbed her Mega Ring, put it on, and ran to the door. Before she got close to it, though, someone began knocking on it rapidly.

"Elly! Are you dressed?" Jethro shouted from the other side.

"Why's that important?" Elly asked, opening the door. The look on Jethro's face told her something was wrong.

"Because we need to get to Lumiose City right now!" he said frantically, and ran to get Valin.

"Why, what's wrong?" Elly asked.

"Sycamore's lab is under attack!" Jethro yelled down the hallway.


	8. Chapter 8: Welcome to Kalos

Valin finished shaving and wiped his face on the face towel by the sink. He had smartly combed his brown hair to one side, and had trimmed his circle beard to a classy look. His light blue eyes were sharp and piercing, but there was hardly ever a time when they didn't appear wise and calm. He had seen quite a bit more than Jethro had, but was never one to gloat about it. Instead, he and his slightly taller cousin were, in ways, similar. They both traveled about the world, helping others along the way. Valin preferred to choose whom he helped, though, while Jethro offered help to anyone. Sometimes the younger lad seemed a touch too eager to help, he thought, but it was always in good faith.

It was good to get back together for a while, Valin thought as he waited for the dryer. He hadn't seen his cousin for quite some time. He knew what was in store for his cousin in the region of Kalos, and he was willing to give him advice if ever he asked.

The dryer finished its final cycle, and Valin procured his clothes from inside the bin. He brushed some lint off of his dark green collared shirt and put it on. He then pulled out a pair of grey cargo pants, shoved the pockets back inside their designated spots, and put them on as well. He then put on a pair of black socks and his brown running shoes, and picked up his black backpack. He pulled the rest of his laundry out of the dryer, including his heavy coat and a vest, folded them compactly, and put them inside their designated pockets. He then zipped up the pack and slung it over his shoulder, holding it by one of the straps. He put the face towel in the laundry hamper, grabbed his laundry basket and went into his room. His Lucario was sitting in the middle of the room, meditating through aura. Just as Valin put his new Mega Bracelet on his wrist, Lucario opened its eyes and jumped to its legs. Valin instinctively went into a fighting stance.

"What is it?" Valin asked. He could soon hear footsteps coming down the hallway at a fast rate, and not long after that, Jethro was rapping on the door.

"Valin! We need to get ready and go, now!" he yelled from the hallway. Valin went to the door and opened it, but Jethro had already disappeared down the hallway.

"What's going on?" Val yelled after him. Jethro poked his head around the corner.

"Sycamore! Being attacked! Lumiose City! _Now!" _Jethro shouted back and disappeared again. Valin's eyes went wide and he ducked back in his room. He quickly organized his laundry and put it in his backpack, whipping it on. He grabbed his sword and slipped it onto his belt, and then dashed out of the room, his Lucario right by his side. He met Elly in the hallway to the lobby, where Jethro was standing in the middle of the floor. Someone had stopped him and was talking to him. Val recognized the short, elderly man dressed in greens and browns, with large scissor-shaped hedge-trimmers. This was the Gym Leader of Coumarine himself!

"Ramos!" Valin called, waving a hand. Ramos looked past Jethro and waved back.

"Why, Valin! Good to see you again, sprout!" he called back. "I was just telling your cousin here the importance of being calm and taking time to see the picture and determine the important things before rushing into something."

"I completely understand, Ramos, and I look forward to battling you myself eventually, but now is absolutely not the time to apply it-" Jethro said.

"Nonsense!" Ramos said, waving his hand. "There's always time to-"

"Professor Sycamore is under attack at his Lab, Ramos," Valin interrupted. Ramos gasped and stepped back. "That's why we're in such a hurry."

"Well, why didn't you say so?" Ramos asked Jethro. "Get going, whippersnappers!" he said, and stepped aside. Jethro nodded, saluted, and dashed out the doors. He took the Master Ball from his backpack and held it to his forehead, stopping in front of the Center.

"We need you here, my friend," he said to himself. "Please, hurry." He put the Ball back on his strap and waited. Within seconds, a figure could be seen descending from the sky. "There he is," Jethro said, and raised a hand. A few people could be heard shouting, and several across the street could be seen pointing to the rapidly-approaching figure.

Very few people could say they had seen the black Rayquaza of Jethro Striker outside of battle, or even in battle. It was an impressive sight to behold. It lowered its head, gently touching its nose to Jethro's hand.

_"__You have summoned me with great urgency, Jethro," _it said to him. _"It is my honor and duty to serve my Trainer." _

"I appreciate the nobility, Rayquaza," Jethro said, "but honestly, there are times you could be far less formal. How fast can you get us to Lumiose City?" he asked. Rayquaza lowered itself almost to the ground.

_"__Hop on," _it said. Jethro and the others climbed onto Rayquaza's back, Jethro just behind its head and the others behind its chest and arms, holding on tight. Without hesitation, Rayquaza took off, flying at incredible speed straight for Lumiose.

* * *

"What do you want?" Professor Sycamore asked frantically, standing between The Hunter and his grunts and his two assistants, Cosette and Sophie. The mysterious Trainers had come out of nowhere, trashing everything in sight, and were even trying to catch some of the Pokémon in the terrarium. Some of them managed to hide rather well, but others were unfortunate enough to be captured or cornered by the grunts.

"I'm amazed you haven't figured it out by now, Professor," The Hunter said, sneering beneath his hood. "You are the forefront analyst on Mega Evolution. Therefore, your research and knowledge are highly valuable across the globe, and especially to the Sinister Division."

"Then what do you need the Pokémon here for?" Sophie asked from behind Sycamore. The Hunter looked at the spectacled lady with long, wavy, dark blue hair.

"Well, we always need resources for battle, my lady," he said. "And the more we have, the better."

"No wonder you call yourselves the Sinister Division," Sycamore said. "You certainly live up to your name." The Hunter pointed his arm at Sycamore with incredible speed, unsheathing a hidden blade that nearly made contact with the Professor's nose. While his assistants jumped, Sycamore didn't move an inch, staring The Hunter right where he guessed his eyes would be. "Is that supposed to intimidate me?" he said. The Hunter smirked.

"Not really," he said, and withdrew his weapon. He turned to walk away, but in a flash, he spun around and punched Sycamore in the face, knocking him back. His assistants caught him and knelt to the floor, taking his weight.

"I wonder where his prized Garchomp went and hid," The Hunter said aloud, and walked away.

"No!" Sycamore shouted and started to get up. The Sinister grunts stepped in front of him, holding their Dark Balls out in front of them. Sycamore sat back down with Sophie and Cosette, glaring at them. The Hunter chuckled, and went out into the terrarium.

"Search every inch of this facility! I want that Dragon-Type found!" he shouted to the other grunts.

"Yes, sir!" they responded in unison.

* * *

Jethro and the others had just spotted Lumiose in the distance. It was impressively massive! Jethro could tell the architecture was very well-planned and exquisitely built, with the perfect mixture of antique majesty and modern beauty. The most significant modern marvel was the tower in the exact center of the city, its peak almost as high as the team's current altitude. Rayquaza was even visibly impressed.

_"__So _that's _the mass of light I've been spotting at night," _it mused to itself.

"You should come down to Earth more often!" Jethro joked over the wind. "Fly a little closer to the ground so we don't attract too much unwanted attention!" Rayquaza complied, and descended below the skyline of the buildings to maintain a less-obvious approach. It slowed as it came closer, and flew just over the tops of the buildings as it made its way to Sycamore's Lab, its location made obvious by the plume of smoke billowing along the edge of the city. A few people stopped in their tracks in awe and confusion at the long black blur that whizzed overhead.

"What do you think the Sinister Division wants with Sycamore?" Valin shouted over the wind.

"Whatever it is, it ain't good!" Jethro shouted back. The Lab came into view, and Rayquaza flew down to the ground, where Officer Jenny and her police force had just set up a perimeter. Choosing to stick to stealth, they had chosen not to blare their sirens or turn on their lights. Jenny and the others snapped into a salute as Jethro and the others dismounted.

"Oh, for—put those things away!" Jethro whispered harshly. Jenny and the others glanced around until they realized that he was referring to their formal greeting.

"Mr. Striker, sir," Jenny said, "the situation seems dire."

"I'm well aware, Jenny," he said. "Cosette called me just as the attack had begun; that's why I'm here."

"You and your squadron stay out here and stay quiet," Valin commanded. "We'll infiltrate the facility and take them out from inside."

"Good luck," Jenny said, and began to salute again.

"Ah, _ah!" _Jethro said, stopping her. She lowered her hand and nodded. Jethro looked to Rayquaza and nodded. The black ruler of the skies soared straight up, taking an observing position high above. Valin and his Lucario bounded around the left, while Elly and her Lucario leapt up and snuck up to the roof. Jethro sent out Burner and Garchomp, and unsheathed his sword. Burner was wearing its Mega Stone, mounted in the center of a harness. The Stone sparkled brightly in the middle of its chest, the straps in the form of an 'X', stretching over its shoulders and under its arms and connecting in the center of its back.

The trio ran up to the double doors, positioning themselves on either side of them. From inside, they could hear a battle taking place. Two Sinister grunts were battling someone… but there was no Trainer calling return attacks.

_"Run!" _they suddenly heard. Jethro and Garchomp looked at each other.

"Sycamore's Garchomp!" Jethro whispered. He then looked beside him to Burner. "Kick it down," he commanded. Burner nodded, took a stance, and thrust a powerful leg forward, its strong legs blowing one of the doors clean off its hinges. The Sinister grunts' Kabuto and Ampharos were thrown back and flattened against the opposite wall. The grunts turned to Jethro and froze, giving his Garchomp the perfect opportunity to tackle one of them, head-butting him and knocking him out. The other Trainer reached for another Poké Ball, but Burner grabbed his arm and yanked him into the air. Jethro brought his sword to the grunt's throat, looking at him with a strongly furrowed brow.

"Where's Sycamore?" he growled. The grunt pointed to the hall to Jethro's right. "Thanks," he said, and nodded to Burner. The Blaze Pokémon swung the grunt into the wall, knocking him unconscious as well. "Follow us, please," Jethro told Sycamore's Garchomp.

_"I'm not leaving these three alone," _it said, mentioning to the three small Pokémon hiding behind it. A small, silver foxlike Pokémon and a brown and chestnut-colored bipedal mammalian Pokémon peered out from behind one of Garchomp's legs. Jethro looked around.

"I thought you said there were three?" he asked. A blur of light blue suddenly darted past Garchomp and right under his legs. Having expert reflexes, he quickly whipped around and grabbed the Pokémon by the torso and brought it to his height. It resembled a small frog, with two big yellow eyes and frothy bubbles around its neck. It grabbed some of the froth and threw it in Jethro's face, blinding him for a short moment. He let go of the Water-Type and rubbed the stuff out of his eyes.

"I don't have time for this," he growled. "We need to get moving, so either you stay here or help out and come with," he said and dashed down the hallway, his partners following right behind him. Sycamore's Garchomp nodded to the smaller creatures at its feet, and then pursued after the warriors.

* * *

Valin and his Lucario had managed to sneak beneath the windows along their side of the building. Using its aura-sensing abilities, Lucario was able to detect exactly where The Hunter was inside the building. They were getting close to the terrarium when Lucario suddenly froze. Valin stopped and turned around.

"What is it?" he asked. Before Lucario could answer, the wall exploded just behind them. The two leapt back, Valin drawing his sword and Lucario taking a fighting stance. When the dust settled, a Luxray stood before them, electricity surging across its body. Its eyes were small and bloodthirsty, obviously under the control of a Dark Ball. Its Trainer stepped out, wearing a suit matching Luxray's physique. She sneered at Valin, chuckling.

"Thought you could just sneak by and drop in without saying hello?" she said. Luxray growled, its fur standing on end. "You should've known that we could cover our tracks better than that."

"Well, you know," Valin said, shrugging, "it was worth a shot."

"Thunderbolt!" the female commanded. It unleashed a massive stream of electricity, but Valin and Lucario had jumped out of the way just in time. The Thunderbolt struck the ground far behind them, causing an explosion that shattered some of the windows of the terrarium. Lucario let loose a series of Aura Spheres, hitting the Luxray dead-on. It slid back, snarling at its opponent. Valin engaged its Trainer, swinging his sword in precise movements. The Trainer dodged them all with the nimbleness of a feline on two legs. She unfurled her whip, which was designed to look like Luxray's tail, and lashed out at Valin. The crack of it was enough to make his ears ring slightly, and he realized that the end of it was electrically charged. He looked at the Trainer, her expression slightly unnerving. She was smiling gleefully, as if she was having the time of her life.

"Shall we dance?" she laughed.

"Only if I lead," Val retorted, and rushed her.

* * *

Elly and her Lucario had snuck to the glass ceiling of the terrarium. They peered down, and saw that the entire place was a shambles. The trees had branches blasted off and laying on the ground, several bushes were on fire, and the pond was littered with debris. They could see and hear Valin and Lucario engaging some Electric-Type Pokémon on their side of the building, as well as the crack of some sort of whip.

"Sounds like he's having fun, eh?" Elly asked her partner. Lucario snorted, its gaze glued to the terrarium. The Sinister Division had several of Professor Sycamore's Pokémon in some sort of mechanical container. Elly spotted it too, and dug in her backpack for something.

"Wanna go for the container?" she asked. Lucario nodded and stood up. Eloquence brought out a pair of brass knuckles and put them on. She crouched down, preparing to leap. "One… two… three!" she shouted. She jumped up, drew back a fist, and slammed it down. Her specialized brass knuckles created a small shockwave as they made contact with the glass, shattering the surrounding panes. She and Lucario fell through, and rolled as soon as they made contact with the ground. She threw punches towards the oncoming attacks, the shockwaves dissipating them and deflecting them. Lucario rushed forward and used Force Palm, slamming the opponent's Nidoking into its partner Nidoqueen, clearing a path to the container. It attacked the container's power source, destroying it and allowing the Pokémon inside to flee to safety. Nidoking and Nidoqueen got back up, snarling. Lucario and Elly faced them, ready to fight. The Trainers of the Nidos rushed up behind them, preparing themselves to defeat the intruders. Instead of having uniforms that matched their Pokémon, they were clad in the standard Sinister uniform; black and grey T-shirts with a crimson 'S' on the front and red safety glasses.

"You're not in familiar territory, lackey," the male said. "This is Kalos; you're in _our_ turf now."

"Lackey?!" Eloquence squawked. "Why, you miserable little—Squirtle!" she called, throwing a Poké Ball in the air. The Tiny Turtle stood next to Lucario, its usually-adorable face contorted into an ugly scowl. The Trainers and their Pokémon burst out laughing.

"You're gonna fight us with that little runt?!" the female laughed. Eloquence grinned.

"Hydro Pump," she said, and the laughter abruptly stopped. Squirtle reared its head, and unleashed a powerful torrent of water from its mouth. The Nidoking was thrown into its Trainer, and both were slammed through the window. Nidoqueen and its Trainer looked at the little Water-Type in fear. Squirtle grinned almost maniacally, paralyzing its opponents in fear.

"Who's laughing now?" Elly asked, and dashed forward.

* * *

"What in the world is going on?!" The Hunter roared into his headset.

"Lucy is engaging the cousin of Striker outside the building on the east side, and his female companion has released the Pokémon we were holding captive!" one of the grunts responded.

"They wouldn't come without him!" The Hunter yelled. "Where is Jethro himself?!"

"Man, you yell so loud, an Exploud could sneak up behind you while yelling at full volume," the reply came from behind him. The Hunter whipped around to see Jethro facing him, his sword pointed right at him. Burner dropped the grunts, having clunked their skulls together and knocking them out cold. His own Garchomp was standing in front of Sycamore, his Garchomp, and his assistants.

"So you finally decided to show up, huh?" The Hunter asked.

"Yeah, I figured I'd let my friends entertain yours for a few minutes before I joined the party," Jethro said.

"Well, don't be stingy," The Hunter said, grabbing two Dark Balls and running into the terrarium. "Join the fun!" Jethro and his Pokémon dashed after him as he threw the Dark Balls into the air, sending out a Hooundoom and an Ambomasnow. Both seemed to have Mega Stones of their own, with Houndoom's on its chest and Ambomasnow's on it arm.

"Ah, so they can Mega Evolve too," Jethro observed. "This oughta be fun."

"Crunch and Ice Beam!" The Hunter shouted. Houndoom rushed Burner, its teeth bared. Ambomasnow unleashed a beam of pure frozen energy at Garchomp, who managed to avoid the attack by a mere inch. Jethro deflected it just in time with his sword.

"Burner, Sky Uppercut! Garchomp, Dragon Claw!" he called out. Burner stepped to the side of Houndoom and swung its fist up, slamming the dog Pokémon right in the stomach and sending it to the ceiling. Garchomp swung its energized claw at the Ice- and Grass-Type, aiming for its head. Its attack was literally caught as its opponent grabbed the attack with both hands.

_"En garde!" _The Hunter shouted, unsheathing his hidden sword and rushing Jethro. The two engaged in sword-to-sword combat, dancing and ducking between their Pokémon as they attacked each other.

Elly caught sight of him and called over, "Hey, Jethro! Finally decided to join the party?"

"Yeah, sorry I'm late, traffic was miserable!" he called back as he parried and deflected The Hunter's attacks. "Where's Valin?" Just then, the Luxray came flying through the terrarium window, its Trainer right behind it. Valin stepped through, whistling at the damage.

"This is gonna be one heck of a bill," he said. He ran at his opponent with his Lucario hot on his heels.

"If I can't manage it, I know someone who can!" Jethro called as he heel-kicked The Hunter in the chest. "Garchomp! Time to Mega Evolve!"

_"Thought you'd never ask!" _Garchomp said as it jumped over Ambomasnow and leapt off its back. Jethro tapped his Mega Badge, and the streams of light erupted from it and Garchomp's Mega Stone simultaneously.

"Then we'll just do the same!" The Hunter shouted, bringing his other hand to his face. A Keystone lay in the center of the top of his glove. He tapped it, and streams of light erupted from it to the Mega Stone of the Ambomasnow. Both Pokémon lit up and Mega Evolved, and Mega Garchomp and Jethro stood with their mouths agape.

"Whoa, now," Jethro said.

Ambomasnow had almost doubled in size and had become more bulky (for lack of a better term). It now held itself up on its arms, and its face was now pointed forward. Two frozen spikes protruded from its back. Jethro stood in shock for a second or two, then realized something.

"With that much of a size enlargement, it's gotta be a whole lot slower," he said. "Garchomp! Dragon Claw!"

_"Knock, knock!" _Garchomp said as it rushed forward, its red scythe-claws glowing green. The Hunter smirked, and Jethro realized his mistake.

"Wait, fall back!" he cried, but it was too late.

"Blizzard," The Hunter said. Ambomasnow opened its mouth wide, its cold breath creating frozen crystals in the air.

_"Aw, crap," _Garchomp muttered. A massive blast of frigid air erupted from Ambomasnow's mouth, throwing Garchomp back to Jethro and encasing it in a block of solid ice. The two were slammed into Elly, distracting her Pokemon long enough to be thrown back as well. Valin and his Lucario were next, nearly missing Burner who was trying to keep Houndoom from clamping down on its throat.

_"Boss!" _it shouted, straining against the amplified power of the Darkened Pokémon. Jethro strained to free his leg from Garchomp's icy coffin, but it was no good. His sword was just out of arm's reach, and Elly was struggling to get out from underneath the both of them.

"Just _had _to go and do that, didn't you?" Elly groaned under their weight. "You're supposed to be good at Type advantages!"

"I got a little—ungh!—caught up in the excitement," Jethro said as he pulled at his leg again, still making little progress. The Hunter and his Ambomasnow stood above them, the Hunter's sword pointed right at Jethro's face.

"Any final words from the great Jethro Striker?" he taunted. Jethro glared up at him. Something caught his eye above them, and he looked through the ceiling. At first he thought it was Rayquaza, but he realized that something else had flown past, its massive shadow practically eclipsing the entire terrarium for a brief second. The Hunter and his grunts looked up and around frantically. A few seconds later, the ground shook as if something exploded, or as if…

As if something very big had just landed outside.

Instantly recognizing what it was, Jethro grinned and looked back at The Hunter.

"You know, there's one flaw that comes with your name," he said, grinning.

"What's that?" The Hunter asked, still looking around for the source of the one-second eclipse.

"You know how predators—or in your case, hunters—hardly ever have competition or an enemy coming after them?" Jethro asked. The Hunter froze and slowly looked down at Jethro.

"Yeah…?" he said slowly.

"They never develop the habit of watching their back," Jethro said.


	9. Chapter 9: Old Friends in a New World

**ATTENTION READERS AND FOLLOWERS!**

**The next part in the adventures with Jethro and his friends comes together with a friend of mine, an author by the name of Moyasu. Her story, named 'Fire and Steel', collaborates with this one in her 5****th**** Chapter. **

**What are you waiting for? Go check out her side of the story!**

** s/11500185/1/Fire-and-Steel**

* * *

The Hunter looked down at Jethro.

"What was that thing?" he snarled, bringing the sword closer to Jethro's face.

"I take it you didn't get the memo that I had friends here in Kalos," Jethro said calmly. He could see The Hunter's mouth twist into a snarling frown as he raised his sword. Jethro prepared to block or catch the blade—which one he was going to go with, he wasn't sure yet.

As The Hunter brought the blade down, however, he never had to make that call.

Something had blocked the blade's swing, sparks showering all over the block of ice that Garchomp was stuck in. Both men looked to see a very interesting sight.

It was a Sneasel, and it was grinning at The Hunter. It had long fur on its head that hung down over part of its right eye and was wearing a pleather jacket. Given the length of its claws, Jethro could figure that it was somewhat of an experienced and older one.

_"Gotcha!" _it sneered at the hooded Trainer.

"Little pest!" The Hunter hissed under his breath. "Houndoom!" he called. The Fire-and-Dark-Type dog glanced over and immediately darted away from Burner, letting the bigger Pokémon rest for a minute. The Hunter withdrew, allowing the two Dark-Types to engage each other. Houndoom leapt through the air to tackle Sneasel, but the more agile Pokémon merely dove underneath it, surprising it. It landed on all fours and turned to attack again, but before it could do so, it was stomped on and trampled by a much larger Pokémon that had come out of nowhere. Jethro and the others gazed in surprised at a strange-looking Camerupt. Instead of its usual two volcano-like humps, it now had one large one on its back that seemed to ooze with lava from within its body. The three blue rings on the sides had now become blackened rocks, and a ring of the same kind wrapped from the base of the neck to the rump to keep the lava from flowing to the ground, and its pinkish-orange fur had lengthened to its hooves. The fur on the top of its head was standing up and was splayed out.

"You gotta be kidding me," Elly said from beneath Jethro. He turned to see that she had managed to wriggle out from underneath him just enough to see what was going on. The Mega Camerupt blew steam from its nostrils and turned to the Mega Ambomasnow, which had impressively not deterred and instead planted its arms firmly in the ground and snarled. Camerupt bellowed back and charged as The Hunter quickly returned Houndoom to its Dark Ball. Mega Ambomasnow blasted a ferocious Blizzard at its opponent, causing steam to wisp off of the still-charging Mega Camerupt. The mobile volcano let loose a massive Flamethrower, cancelling out the frigid wind. As soon as it was close enough, it ceased the attack and rammed right into Mega Ambomasnow, knocking it back into yet another window, the spikes on its back piercing right through them.

"Every window that breaks, I wince a little harder," Jethro said, still struggling to free his leg. "How're you doing, Elly?" he asked his pinned friend as he tried to lift himself to allow her more wiggle room.

"Getting there," she said. She had just freed her torso and arms from underneath Jethro and Garchomp and was working on getting her legs free pushing off of Jethro's back. He squawked, causing her to jump a little. "What is it?" she asked.

"Put your brass knuckles away!" he shouted forward.

"Oops! Sorry, forgot they were still on!" she said, and immediately stowed them away in her backpack.

Mega Ambomasnow freed itself and growled at its opponent, which was hoofing the ground, preparing to charge. Just as it did, Mega Ambomasnow outstretched its arms and caught it, using its momentum to swing it around and fling it into a nearby tree. The heat from the volcano on its back caused it to burst into flames.

"Squirtle! Put it out!" Elly shouted. The Tiny Turtle ran over and spewed a small Hydro Pump on the flames as the Mega Camerupt charged again. It used Earth Power, causing the ground beneath the Mega Ambomasnow to erupt and launch it in the air, flailing its thick arms as it nearly hit the ceiling. In a smart combo move, the Mega Camerupt then used Eruption, launching molten rocks at its airborne opponent. They slammed into with great force, throwing it through _another _ceiling window.

"Oh, please fall through the same window, please fall through the same window," Jethro muttered as Valin helped Elly out from underneath him. Unfortunately, the falling meteor of snow smashed through the windowpane right next to the one it went through. It landed with a massive _thud, _and reverted back to normal. Jethro let his head fall back in dismay and groaned. "Bill, please," he muttered to no one in particular as Valin handed him his sword.

Meanwhile, the Sneasel had gotten into a swordfight with The Hunter and was fighting furiously. The Hunter appeared to have unsheathed a second hidden sword from somewhere within his jacket, and was holding it in his other hand to counter the dual-clawed attacker. Sneasel managed to knock him into a rock, winding him. It lunged forward, aiming to knock the shortsword out of his hand. Moving fast, The Hunter swung his first sword in an underhand motion, catching the Sneasel off guard. It just managed to block it, and was thrown back in the process. It landed on its feet and hissed furiously, then rushed forward, slashing at The Hunter's hands and the shortsword's hilt. The hunter yelped and let go of the shortsword out of reflex, dropping it and jumping back to one side as he did so. The Sneasel seized the opportunity and lunged, knocking The Hunter out of yet another window. He fumbled to his feet and ran, not towards the street but towards the outskirts of the city.

The Sneasel snorted and brushed its sleeves, and then walked over to Jethro and the others who were hacking away at the still-frozen Mega Garchomp. Sneasel plunged its claws into the ice with incredible speed and flair, freeing the now-reverted Garchomp in a matter of seconds. Jethro looked at the Sneasel, slightly irritated, and held his ankle. It had gotten twisted a little and was stinging with pain, but he was glad his Pokémon was okay. Burner walked over slowly, kneeling down to its partner to make sure it was okay. The Sneasel flicked its longer hair with its claws, apparently being proud of itself.

_"You're welcome," _it said, a hint of smugness in its tone. Jethro and the others glared at it for a split second. Jethro sheathed his sword and slowly rose to his feet. Burner moved to catch him, but Jethro waved a hand.

"I'm fine, don't worry," he said, wincing at the sudden twinge of pain shooting from his foot. "I'll be alright. We need to get Garchomp healed, though, that Blizzard was nasty."

_"I'm in no hurry to be pampered," _Garchomp replied. _"It was just one Blizzard, boss, I'll be just as fine as you are," _it said, getting to its feet with ease. Jethro grinned.

"Maybe even better," he joked. "Nevertheless, you could use some good rest. You both fought well," he told the two. They both nodded in thanks, and Jethro tapped their Poké Balls. "Return for now," he said, and both Pokémon flew back to their capsules in a flash of red energy. The Balls shrank back down, and Jethro straightened back up, slowly applying equal pressure to both feet.

The Camerupt had reverted back to its normal form, and had settled on the grass to munch on it in perfect content. The Sneasel flitted about the terrarium, using strained Blizzards to put out small fires caused by the Sinister Division. It beat Squirtle to one by a mere second, but just before they could get in a brawl, Elly returned her little Water-Type and put it on her belt, shaking her head.

"Fight's over, little guy," she said to her partner. "No need to start a new one." Sneasel darted over and smugly leaned against the grazing Camerupt. Jethro looked around and saw that the rest of the grunts had fled the building. Jethro and his friends had won this round, it seemed. Or at least they got the easy stuff out of the way.

Sycamore had come out to the terrarium, surprisingly in a happy demeanor. He looked about the room, a worried look on his face. No doubt there would be a talk about this later on. Nevertheless, he kept his happy demeanor and walked up to the Camerupt, rubbing it on the nose.

"I remember you!" he said happily. Jethro chuckled. This Pokémon was familiar to him as well.

_"Sycamore!" _the Camerupt said happily, and then settled down and continued to graze.

Sycamore looked down to the stylish Sneasel. "But I've never met your friend here," he said, reaching a hand out towards it. As his hand came close to its face, however, it hissed at him furiously and halfheartedly swatted at him.

Jethro walked over slowly to them, limping a little. He made sure to stay clear of the Sneasel, and instead went over and petted the Camerupt on its head.

"Hello, Rupt!" he said, and the Pokémon greeted him cheerfully as well. He looked down to the Sneasel, who was fake napping while leaning against the larger Pokémon. "I don't think I've ever met this Pokémon either, Professor," he said. Sycamore turned to him, his eyebrows raised.

"Ah, but you know this Camerupt as well!" he said, intrigued.

Jethro nodded. "Yep," he replied, still petting Rupt behind her ear. Elly and Valin walked up behind Jethro, having just examined their own Pokémon and applying a few medicines to them.

"Her?" Elly asked, her face contorted to a heavily-questioning look. Her question was vague, but Jethro had explained enough before they arrived to know what she had meant. He turned to reply, but something caught his attention. Camerupt's ears had perked up, which reminded Jethro of something that usually happened when he least expected.

He whipped around just in time to see a blur of a red coat and lots of red-borderline-orange hair come flying at him.

_"Oh, no, here we go," _he thought to himself as he caught the woman in his arms. He didn't quite have time to account for her angle and speed, and his center of gravity was gone in an instant. The two of them toppled to the ground, knocking the wind out of Jethro. Before he could react, he heard an excited shout from the newcomer.

"Jet!" the woman shouted, and snatched him up in a bone-crushing hug that was all too familiar as the old times rushed to his head along with the blood. He squirmed a little, but couldn't break the woman's death grip. He looked up to his friends, who were staring at them, dumbfounded.

"Hey… Frita?" he groaned. "I, um… can't… breathe…!" The woman released him immediately.

"Oh, sorry!" she said, standing up and brushing herself off. She grinned as Jethro sat up, gasping. "I haven't seen you in _FOREVER!"_ she said cheerfully. Jethro looked up and grinned.

This was Frita Warmhart, an old friend of his. She had peachy skin, with her bright red, almost orange hair pulled back and tied in an updo that resembled Ho-oh's tail. Two strands of his hung down on either side of her face, and a mop of bangs was swept to the right side of her face, covering her eye, both of which were a bright green that almost seemed to glow. She wore a red bandeau top, as well as a pair of flared leg jeans that covered thick black boots with two-inch heels. A thick black belt held her jeans in place, a big sun-shaped buckle in the front. Her long, dark red coat had a small belt on one side, and she wore a pair of fingerless gloves.

"Yeah, it's been a while!" Jethro said as he stood up. "I've been travelling around a lot lately, as usual. How are things with the League?" he asked.

Frita turned to face her Pokémon. "Oh, you know, same ol', same ol'," she said. "Got me running to every Region from Kanto and back. It takes a lot outta me sometimes," she said as she rubbed the back of her head and let out an exasperated sigh. "Hey, what the-?!"

Sycamore had come up from behind her snatched her in a big hug. Jethro raised an eyebrow in questioning, and looked over to Elly and Valin. They still had the same bewildered looks on their faces as before. Jethro just shrugged and mouthed 'I have no idea'.

"Frita! I haven't seen you in a while!" Sycamore said, grinning widely. He slid an arm around her waist underneath her coat, and Jethro could see Frita almost jump out of her skin as his fingers curled around her side. He could see that she wasn't too enthused about this show of affection, and put a hand on his sword handle. He looked over to Valin, who shrugged and shook his head, his face saying 'I don't know what to tell you, man'.

"How long have you been in Kalos? Planning to stay long?" Sycamore asked. Frita had opened her mouth to answer, but her attention moved to something else behind the two of them. All eyes followed their gaze, and Val and Elly jumped about three inches.

Steven Stone, Champion of Hoenn, was standing in front of Rupt and petting her. No one ever saw or heard him come in!

Stranger than that, however, was the fact that the silver fox-like Pokémon was sitting on his head. It suddenly jumped on Rupt's head, and then immediately turned around and tackled Steven, licking him and jumping about in an energetic playful manner. He laughed and fell on his back. He rolled over to lay on his stomach, and laid his head in his hands and bent his legs at the knees, striking a pose like a young teenage girl. The silver fox sat on Steven's head and occasionally dropped a paw to playfully bat at his nose. He laughed and scratched it behind its furry ears.

Jethro and the others merely stood in wonder and bewilderment. Jethro shook his head and brought out his Pokédex, pressing the black button and activating it. The button of the Poké Ball design flipped forward and scanned the little Pokémon. A holographic image of the Pokémon popped up, and the computer read out a small biography.

**"Fennekin, the Fox Pokémon. Eating a twig fills it with energy, and its roomy ears give vent to air hotter than 390 degrees Fahrenheit."**

Jethro's eyes went wide. _'That's a lot of heat!' _he thought to himself. He looked up at the Fennekin on Steven's head and back to the holographic image. This one was silver, but the Pokédex showed it as being a pale yellow. This one was clearly a rare, 'shiny' Fennekin. Jethro pressed the button again, and the handheld computer folded back up and powered down. He put it back in his pocket.

"Um…?" Sycamore turned to Frita, who jumped. She poked her cheek bashfully.

"He may or may not have a concussion," she said sheepishly. Sycamore looked at her sternly, wanting a more thorough explanation. "It may or may not have been caused by my Mega Evolving Charlie in a battle…"

Jethro's mouth dropped, and his eyebrows shot up. Charlie was the nickname she had given to her Charizard, the most impressive one he had ever come across. Not only was it shiny as well, being a dark grey instead of a light orange and having a blue flame on its tail instead of a bright orange one, but this Charizard was **_MASSIVE!_ **It dwarfed regular Charizards, standing at least four times the size of one! Not only that, but it was slightly… bipolar. Normally, he was very gently, very friendly, and a bit of a fraidy-cat. In battle, however, he was absolutely wild, almost monstrous. Jethro was amazed that Steven was still in one piece!

Sycamore's eyes were also wide. "Dear Arceus, Frita!" he exclaimed. "Is he going to be alright?"

Frita quickly nodded. "Oh, yes, he'll be fine! The doctors cleared him, I just need to keep an eye one him," she said quickly. Sycamore looked at her arm.

"I suppose that explains these, then," he said, and poked at a scratch on her arm, causing her to wince. Jethro was about to move in to shoo him away, but he turned and looked in his direction. "Lysandre?" he asked. "This is a bit of a surprise, I haven't seen you in a while either, my friend."

Jethro stopped in his tracks. Lysandre? Who in the world was…?

Jethro was suddenly aware that someone was standing behind him. Valin and Elly's expressions had turned to shock, and they were staring behind him. He turned around to see a bright orange ascot and a grey jacket with a synthetic fur collar.

"Jeez!" he exclaimed, jumping back. The man was taller than even _he_ was! Almost 7 feet! His hair matched his ascot, and seemed to flare out all over. His eyes were sharp and steely, which gave Jethro an edgy feeling. His jacket and matching pants had bright orange borders, and he wore black fingerless gloves.

"Does everyone in Kalos have a natural ability to put Valin's stealth skills to shame?" he asked aloud, not necessarily addressing the giant before him.

"Hey!" Valin protested. Jethro turned around and pointed a thumb in Lysandre's direction. The man didn't seem to notice. Before he could answer, though, a small girl with a green hat with 'quills' on it called out from the original entrance to the terrarium.

"Hi, Professor Sycamore!" she shouted. A Pokémon that looked like the brown one that Sycamore's Garchomp was protecting ran beside her, although this one was green instead of chestnut.

_'Must've gotten a shiny batch of starters'_ Jethro deduced. He then noticed another newcomer, with a fluffy sky blue scarf and black clothes, who had been hanging back. The young man put a hand to his face in embarrassment of the young girl's energy.

"Alain?! Is that you?!" Sycamore called after greeting the young girl. The teen boy jogged forward, catching up to the young girl.

"Hello, Professor," he said. Sycamore began to ask questions, but there was a sudden noise behind Jethro.

"Arrgh!" Lysandre shouted. All eyes turned, and Jethro put his hand to his mouth to prevent a laugh from escaping.

A large, butterfly-like Pokémon with a vibrant pattern on its wings had perched on Lysandre's face, and the large man was clearly unhappy about it. Sycamore merely chuckled as the Pokémon opened and closed its wings, obscuring Lysandre's face momentarily.

"Professor," he said.

"Yes?" Sycamore replied, unable to keep the amusement out of his voice.

"Please get this off me," Lysandre said as he crossed his eyes, glaring at the Pokémon.

Jethro and Frita nearly busted a gut laughing at the sight of Lysandre's cross-eyed angry expression.

Sycamore walked over and gently pulled the Pokémon from his face, letting it flutter away. "That's what you get for having orange hair," he said. "Probably thought you were a flower." Frita laughed harder, while Jethro was having trouble breathing as Lysandre gave the Professor a skeptical look before realizing that he was merely joking.

"Y-Yes, well…" he stammered.

"Professor," Alain said, "are you ok? Who were those people?"

Sycamore smiled at him. "I'm fine, thank you," he said, but then frowned in thought. "I'm not really sure who those people were, I just know they were after the Pokémon in my terrarium. They said something about a Sinister Division," he explained.

Jethro quickly managed to stop laughing and straightened up, looking amongst Sycamore and the others.

"I know who they are," he said, and all eyes turned towards him. "It's a bit of a long story."


	10. Chapter 10: Settling Down, Building Up

"If you'd please," Lysandre said, turning towards Jethro, "tell us everything you know about them."

Jethro looked up at him. Something about his tone seemed odd, somewhat… defensive…? Threatening, almost…? He shook his head in dismissal, for now.

"The Sinister Division is just as their name says; sinister," Jethro began. "They've been around as an underground force for a while, since I was about maybe… 10 or something? Anyway, they've gone against whatever code that the League came up with as far as not using Pokémon as weapons or tools of war. We know how that went centuries ago, and so do they, except the thing about them is, they don't care. They go out of their way to find all the Pokémon they can and 'recruit them', as they say. Their goal is actually quite poetically simple, global domination and all that nonsense. Why, I'm not really sure, but I know that they take no chances, they always risk the innocent, and they take no survivors, only those who want to join. They attacked my home a long time ago…

They thought that they could get some 'recruits' from Professor Birch's lab in Littleroot. They staged an attack on the facility, Hyper Beams and whatnot going off all over. I was one of the cocky younger kids who wanted to help out, so I took a metal pipe from the shop behind my house and attacked a few of the grunts, but y'know, they caught me, I was prisoner… and then it showed up."

"What showed up?" Alain asked. A shadow fell on the terrarium again, and everyone but Jethro and Frita looked up. Instead, Jethro merely pointed up.

"Rayquaza," he said.

The black serpentine dragon had descended to rest on the metal frames of the ceiling, and was peering through to gaze upon the group. Lysandre stepped back, his expression pure awe and wonder. Marin and her Chespin ran behind Alain and hid, shivering with fear. Alain put a hand on her cap, looking up at Rayquaza with a mixture of fear, anger, and confusion. Sycamore and his assistants looked up in amazement at the different-colored dragon, and Steven… well, he had merely rolled onto his back and was looking at Rayquaza while giggling almost uncontrollably. The silver Fennekin was flopped onto its back and had frozen, staring at Rayquaza. The other two starters had merely looked up and grinned.

_"__Coooool!" _the brown one said.

_"__An actual legendary Pokémon from Hoenn!" _the light blue frog said, fist-bumping its friend. Jethro whipped out his Pokédex and quickly scanned the two.

"Chespin, the Spiny Nut Pokémon," the computer said. "The quills on its head are usually soft. When it flexes them, the points become so hard and sharp that they can pierce rock." Jethro scanned the other one.

"Froakie, the Bubble Frog Pokémon. It secretes flexible bubbles from its chest and back. The bubbles reduce the damage it would take when attacked."

Jethro raised his eyebrows and nodded. These starters had potential! He looked back to Marin and her Chespin, still cowering behind Alain. He walked over to her and knelt down, lifting her chin up and looking her in the eyes.

"What's wrong, little one?" he asked. "You don't have to be afraid of Rayquaza here!"

"We had an encounter with another Rayquaza," Alain said. Jethro looked up. "It was rather… frightening."

"Where and when did you encounter that?" Jethro asked.

"A few days ago in Hoenn," Lysandre said. "It was attempting to defend the Giant Rock from us."

"Giant Rock?" Valin asked. "What in the world is that?"

"A giant crystalline stone that we found is the source of Mega Evolution," Lysandre said. "We found it at an ancient ruins in the Hoenn Region. Eventually it attracted Groudon and Kyogre in their Primal Reversion forms and-"

"It _WHAT?!" _Jethro squawked. "You're telling me than an ancient rock, apparently in the shape of a gigantic crystal, attracted the attention of _Primal _Kyogre and Groudon?! Why had no one told me about this?!"

"We were in Sinnoh at the time, Jethro, we never would have made it there to do anything," Eloquence said. Jethro looked to one side and nodded, agreeing with the logic.

"Still would've been nice if I'd been informed," he muttered.

"Says the guy who hardly calls his friends," Elly mocked, crossing her arms. Jethro looked straight ahead, eyebrows raised and mouth pursed to one side.

"Touché," he replied, looking back to Alain and Marin. "I still don't see what the other Rayquaza did to terrify Marin here," he said.

"Evidently, it has the ability to Mega Evolve. Also, it launched a Draco Meteor at us," Lysandre said. Jethro looked at him in awe.

"Get out," he said. He looked up at his Rayquaza, their expressions equal. "Sweet!"

"We have no idea how it managed to do so without a Mega Stone, though," Lysandre added. Jethro's enthusiasm dropped. "Ah, nuts," he said in dismay. "So it only reacted to this Giant Rock you found?"

"That's correct, silly!" Steven said, a hand raised as if to try and touch Rayquaza. Everyone looked at him with concerned looks, and Jethro walked over to Frita.

"Did the doctors say what side effects would kick in with whatever painkillers he's takin'?" he whispered in her ear.

"Only that they'd cause him to be a bit loopy for a while, plus he has a concussion," she whispered back.

"I can see that, and 'a bit'?" he asked, the two of them looking at each other. "If that qualifies as 'a bit', I don't wanna know what 'incredibly' looks like," he muttered.

"You should've been with us when he _first _took them," she smirked.

"Oy," Jethro muttered, and turned back to Lysandre. "May I ask why the Champion of my home Region is in Kalos?" he asked.

"We were further investigating Mega Evolution and the relation to it and the megalith in Anistar City," he replied. "Then Miss Warmhart here appeared and invited us to her house there."

Jethro chuckled. "With her, they're more like villas," he said, winking at her.

Frita rolled her eyes, scoffing. "At least I _have _places to call home, Mr. Forever-a-Wanderer," she retorted. "You hardly ever stay in one place for more than a day!"

"That doesn't mean I don't have a place to call home," Jethro said. "As a matter of fact-"

"I hate to interrupt," Valin spoke up. "But what are we going to do about all the damage here?" Everyone looked around the terrarium. The place was a shambles; a few windows remained untouched, but the ground was torn in spots, some of the trees were lying on their sides, and smoke still lingered in places. Jethro inhaled through his teeth.

"Ah, yeah," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry about that, Professor. I'll pay for the damages and help in whatever ways I can to fix this mess."

"I have friends in high places that could help, too," Frita said. Sycamore smiled somewhat suspiciously at this.

"Oh, how sweet of you, Frita! Would you be here to oversee the restoration?" he asked. Frita side-stepped away from him, and Jethro stood between the two.

"Don't push your luck, Professor," he muttered to himself.

"I hate to part at a time like this," Lysandre said, pocketing a personal communicator, "but I'm afraid I am needed back at my laboratory."

"Hey, don't let us keep you from important research!" Jethro said, extending a hand. "It was a pleasure to meet you!"

"It was an honor to meet you as well," Lysandre said, shaking Jethro's hand. "I look forward to catching up with you soon." He walked over to the main part of the building and disappeared.

Jethro watched as he left, a look of stern curiosity overtaking his features. Frita waved a hand in front of his face, getting his attention.

"You okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he assured. "It's nothing. Anyway, Sycamore," he said, turning to the Professor. "Tell me about these starters of yours! Seems to me that they're a shiny batch!"

The Professor nodded cheerfully. "Yes, I was quite surprised myself! The Froakie let itself out of the Poké Ball the minute I received it, and I thought it was a little off, but it's so hard to tell with that one," he said. Jethro nodded at that. _It _does _look somewhat similar to what the Pokédex showed me, _he thought. "Then when the rest of them appeared, I realized they were all shiny!" Sycamore finished.

Frita ambled over to Steven, who was still gazing up at Rayquaza. It was analyzing him with some curiosity. Frita laid down next to Steven, and the Fennekin instantly jumped onto her. She snuggled the little thing happily.

_"__Cuddles!" _it cried cheerfully. Jethro turned back to Sycamore.

"You said the Froakie popped out on its own the minute you got it?" he asked.

"Yes, that Froakie is quite the energetic one," Sycamore replied, looking at the light blue frog. "Pretty mischievous at times, though. Bit of a troublemaker."

"Oh, I've had my share of those," Jethro said, looking at Froakie and Chespin. The two starters were still gazing up at Rayquaza. "I could use the practice with another one," he offered, putting his thumbs in his pockets. Sycamore looked at him incredulously.

"Are you serious?" he asked, his eyebrows raised. Jethro nodded and turned to Frita and… a sudden lack of Steven. Jethro looked around the terrarium, and froze when he spotted him.

He was childishly pestering Frita's Sneasel. "Ohhh, that can't be good," Jethro muttered to himself. The Sneasel was holding back, but Steven's unwelcome playfulness was obviously agitating it more and more every second. Jethro was about to move the Champion away, but Frita intervened first.

"Professor!" she called. Sycamore turned to face her.

"Yes!" he said, almost clapping his hands and jumping off his toes into the air at her mentioning his name. Jethro raised an eyebrow at the Professor's odd behavior and threw his hands up, giving up on trying to figure him out for the time being.

"You have a big collection of Mega and Evolutionary Stones here at the Lab, right?" Frita asked. Sycamore nodded slowly, not quite understanding what she meant. Jethro grinned widely, knowing her intentions instantly. Valin chuckled and crossed his arms, while Elly just exhaled sharply through her nose. Her Lucario looked at her with a puzzled look.

"Steven's a nut when it comes to rocks of any kind," she muttered down to her Pokémon.

About ten minutes later, Sycamore returned with a large box filled with several vibrantly-colored stones in them. He seemed to have a bit of trouble carrying it. Frita ran forward and plucked it out of his hands as if it were an empty cardboard box. Jethro put a hand to his mouth in an attempt to stifle a high-pitched giggle. She set it on the ground and called Steven over. He went over to investigate, and his eyes—which were _incredibly _dilated at this point—instantly lit up with joy. He plopped down and began digging through the box of rocks, admiring each of them with glee.

Jethro's giggling increased. "Like a kid at Christmas…!" he managed to squeak before giggling hysterically even more.

He abruptly stopped as one of the Officer Jennys came running in to the building.

"Grand Champion Frita, Mr. Striker!" she said, coming to a halt and saluting them both. Jethro groaned and hung his head. A simple handshake or nod always worked for him.

"Jenny," Jethro and Frita said in unison. Valin and Elly glanced at each other.

'Grand Champion?' Elly mouthed.

"What happened here?" she asked. "Who was that man in the hood that attacked the Lab? He managed to escape us as he ran."

"I can make a folder of things I noticed about him during the fight," Frita offered. Jethro shifted his weight to one leg and rubbed his chin. Come to think of it, that would explain why she didn't reveal herself until _after _the battle…

"I can give you some information as well," Sycamore said. "After all, he did threaten me and my assistants with a sword."

"As can I," Jethro said, stepping forward. "I fought him hand-to-hand, and I can tell you how hard he swings, how fast he breathes, and the tell he has in his left shoulder when he thrusts a blade forward. That, and a few other things."

* * *

A few hours later, the cleanup crew had arrived and had begun clearing the wreckage. Jethro's Metagross used Psychic to heave the charred trees away and dump them into a truck bed, organizing them neatly in stacked piles.

Torterra skillfully used Frenzy Plant to replace them with large roots, twisting them together tightly and sprouting small branches from the tops. It then lumbered to the bottom of the trunk and created a small Energy Ball. It allowed the green sphere of natural energy to hover in place for a moment, and then gently blew on it, merging it with the makeshift tree. In a flash of green colors, the tree instantly grew leaves in thick masses, and the trunk turned a dark brown. Torterra stepped back and smiled at its handiwork.

_"__Alright, there, bigger tree for you to use," _it said. _"Everyone out, come on."_ A flock of Bird Pokémon fluttered out from the tree on Torterra's back to the newly-created one.

Valin's Bisharp went to work chopping away at the plants and trees that were no longer stable in the ground, carving a path for Torterra to replant. At the same time, it was carving some of the trees into firewood for some people throughout the town to use if they wanted.

Metagross came back and levitated a number of glass panes into their places, warping the metal frames back into shape to more securely hold them. Burner followed the levitating tank around, using its strong legs to leap up and gently push the glass panes, locking them in place.

Jethro was busy talking with one of the workers, discussing the new layout that was being planned. A few minor details were being put in place, like a small tree house in one of the trees and a small playground off to one side of the pond. Froakie and Squirtle were busy swimming around in said pond, collecting whatever debris they could and setting it aside. As Froakie did a final lap around the bottom of the pond, it spotted something glittering in the dirt. It swam closer, and realized it was some sort of electronic device. Plucking it out of the ground, Froakie swam out of the water, landing on the dry ground running. It went over to Jethro and tugged his pants leg.

"What's up, Froakie?" he asked, squatting down.

_"__I found this in the pond," _the Pokémon told him, holding the device up. It was some kind of black disk, but that was all Jethro could determine. It seemed to be locked somehow, and a small red light slowly blinked on and off, signifying that it had power and was most likely active. He took it from the Froakie, who jumped onto his shoulder armor, and turned the disc over. There in the center was the crimson 'S' of the Sinister Division.

"Must've fallen off The Hunter or one of the grunts," he muttered. He reached up and patted Froakie on the head. "Good work, buddy!"

_"__I know," _the Pokémon said proudly, puffing its chest. Jethro shook his head and chuckled. Metagross gently landed in front of them, with Burner on top of its head.

_"__Windows are all replaced, boss," _Burner said, sliding off. _"Frita got into contact with some real good glassmakers, so now they won't break as easy." _

"Good," Jethro said, nodding. He looked around the terrarium. "Speaking of Frita, I wonder how she's doing. I haven't seen her in a while." He looked towards the entrance that was being reconstructed. "I'll go see how she's doing." He walked to the doorway, passing Alain's Charizard and Valin's Scolipede. Scolipede was carrying large metal plates on its back while Charizard hefted them into place and welded them together with a small but intense Flamethrower.

"Thanks for your help, you two," Jethro said before he walked through the doorway. Froakie jumped onto Scolipede's back, causing it to jump a little. "Froakie, behave," Jethro said through the doorway. "You don't want those two angry at you for making a mess." Froakie looked up at Scolipede, which looked back and glared fiercely. Froakie gulped and jumped down, running off to find Chespin.

Jethro peered here and there through the Lab rooms before he finally found Frita curled up in an office chair, sound asleep. Steven and the Fennekin were curled up together in a corner next to the box of Stones. Sycamore was leaning against the desk and waved at him. Jethro walked into the room, careful not to wake them up with his footsteps.

"Hey, Professor," he whispered. "How long have they been asleep?"

"Frita just passed out a few minutes ago," Sycamore whispered back. "Steven's been out long before her. Poor guy needs all the sleep he can get, getting hit by Charlie's tail and all."

"I'm still surprised he's in one piece!" Jethro whispered. He looked over to Frita and smiled softly. "I'm glad she finally got some rest. She's had quite a day, from what Alain and Marin told me." He walked over and gently rubbed her back. He knew just how to move his hand, making slow, circular motions and getting her muscles to relax a bit more. Her posture softened, and she breathed through her nose a little more forcefully. Jethro stopped and patted her back twice, his work done. He would've done the same with Steven, but his back was facing the wall, and Jethro wasn't interested in moving him and causing him any pain. Instead, he peered at the drawing that Frita had made of The Hunter. Sycamore had done a good job of filling in the main colors, but Frita had made magnificent progress with the image as a whole. She even nailed the Key Stone in his glove! Jethro looked down at the list of details that she had been able to deduce from her observations. He reached for a pencil and jotted a few extra things down. "Has a tell in left shoulder when using sword," and "Primary sword hidden in inside chest pocket, secondary one hidden in back of cloak." He put the paper in a folder and labeled it "The Hunter: Sinister Division." He looked around the room.

"I don't suppose you'd happen to have a sticky note around here?" he whispered to Sycamore. The Professor pointed to another desk. "Top left drawer," he whispered. Jethro went over, got one out, and attached it to the device that Froakie had found. He wrote "Send to Mr. Stone in Rustboro City, Hoenn Region for analysis. Function(s) unknown, caution advised." He set it down gently on the desk next to Frita.

"Have Officer Jenny deliver that when she comes in," he whispered. The Professor nodded and returned to the drawing. "Did you ever get a look at his eyes?" Jethro asked. Sycamore shook his head. "Write down blue-grey on that," he said, tapping the drawing. Sycamore jotted it down and looked at Jethro with a puzzled look. "I've been in enough fights to notice details in a split second," he said. He looked over to Frita again, smiled a little, and left. Sycamore watched him leave, and then looked over to Frita, who was sleeping much more heavily, it seemed. Her breathing was smoother, and her shoulders were a bit more relaxed. He shook his head in amazement at Jethro's skills, and then went back to drawing.

* * *

The stars twinkled in the night sky, but they were a bit hard to see beyond the glare of the city lights. Jethro lay halfway out of his tent, gazing up at them in absent thought. He glanced over to see his Garchomp and Sycamore's sleeping next to each other. He smirked at how fast they had become acquainted and looked back up at the stars. _I sure miss Felicia, _he thought. _Sure wish she were here, too. I know she wanted to stay at home and help Flannery out, and I wanted to keep her safe… but… _Jethro groaned softly at put an arm across his face. _I know she'll be alright. We'll have all the time to go out that we need when I get back. _He had called her before they went to bed, telling her of what had happened, that he was okay, and that he loved and missed her. They shared a few sweet words before finally saying goodnight and hanging up. Jethro turned over on his side to curl up and try to sleep, but something caught his attention. Someone was up, and was carrying a light in the main Lab. Jethro got up to inspect it, and soon found that the low light was coming from the room that Frita and Steven were in. He could hear someone trying to wake Frita, and he peered in from the doorway. Sure enough, there was Sycamore, gently shaking her shoulder.

"Frita?" he whispered in a low voice. "Frita, come on upstairs where there are beds."

Jethro chuckled. "That ain't gonna work, Professor," she said lowly, causing the older man to jump, covering his hand to keep a yelp from escaping his lips. Jethro raised a hand, motioning for him to keep it down. He looked to Steven. He was still cuddling the Fennekin, and was sound asleep, like the rocks he so admired. He turned back to Sycamore. "When she's asleep, no one wakes her up but herself, unless it's urgent," he whispered. "She can be one of the heaviest sleepers I've met."

"Yes, you seem to know her pretty well," Sycamore said, lifting the lantern he had placed on the table. "How exactly did you two meet?"

"Ah, now there's a story," Jethro said, and motioned for the Professor to follow him. They silently walked out of the room and into the lobby, where Elly and Valin were lying on the couches. They hadn't fallen asleep either, and sat up as the two men entered the room.

"What's up?" Valin asked.

"I was just going to tell Sycamore here how I came to meet Frita," Jethro said, sitting on the floor with his legs crossed.

"Oh, goodie, a bedtime story!" Elly joked, resting her head in her hand. "Maybe now I can get to sleep somehow."

* * *

_**The story of how Jethro and Frita met continues in Adventures in Mara, the all-new spin-off/collaboration!**_


	11. Chapter 11: A Terrarium Picnic

_**Author's Note: **_

_**The following chapter takes place after Adventures in Mara, the next morning after Jethro finishes telling everyone about his first encounter with Frita.**_

* * *

Morning had come, and Jethro slowly opened his eyes, rubbing them. He had a dream recalling the time he spent in Mara, most likely from telling the story of how he and Frita met. There was something more in his dreams, but he couldn't tell what it was… it felt like it was urgent, but then again, those were dreams. Felt like you could tell what they were, then they went away within five seconds of waking up.

Jethro stretched his arms and legs, moaning as a few of his joints popped. He got up and looked around. It seemed no one else was up yet, so he got dressed and went to the kitchen. He searched the cupboards for a few seconds before finding the bread he was looking for. He then went through the fridge and found the materials he needed for making sandwiches. He made a variety of them, with several assortments of meats, vegetables, and Berries. A few of them he made without crusts, just in case. He then gathered a few Berries from the fridge and began to make some food for the Pokémon, mixing a few spices in with them as well and other ingredients. He cooked enough to make special batches for each Pokémon, even the ones for Frita, Steven, and Alain. As he slid in the final batch of cookies he had made after finding the necessary ingredients, he began to wonder about the younger Trainer. Quite the ambitious one, he was told. Quite a skilled fighter. He had asked to examine the young man's Charizard, and found it to be very strong. He had no doubt that it had the potential to be a fair contender of any Mega Evolved Pokémon. Jethro saw the look in the young man's eyes, though. It troubled Jethro; he had seen that level of determination before, and it hardly ever lead to anything good. The way he treated Marin made Jethro furrow his brows, as well. His goal to become the strongest with his Charizard seemed to have consumed him, and his sense of debt towards Lysandre came to Jethro as… a bit much, really. However, the strongest ever? That title obviously had to go to Frita and Charlie, hands-down. Jethro had heard of how quick the battle went against the big wrecking ball of a teddy bear, and had a hard time thinking of how one could beat Frita's favorite Pokémon. Although, seeing as how Rayquaza can actually Mega Evolve, he just might stand a chance himself! He smiled to himself as he began putting the picnic basket together.

"Maybe, my friend. Maybe," he said to himself. He took the basket outside and set it in his tent, closing the flap on his way out. He looked up to see his Garchomp staring at him from where it had slept. He pointed his finger and tilted his head forward. "No touchie-touchie, no munchie-munchie," he said sternly. "Wait until we get everyone here." Garchomp groaned a little and set its head back down. Jethro smirked a little and turned to check the cookies. He froze in his tracks as he saw the Froakie on the top of the tent, attempting to sneak down and unzip the flap. It froze and looked at him, smiling sheepishly. "Make sure he doesn't get in," Jethro said over his shoulder, and continued to the kitchen. Froakie watched as he left, and then turned around to see Torterra directly in front of the tent. It was glaring the smaller Water-Type right in the eyes. Froakie's skin crawled, and it darted away, following Jethro. Torterra smirked and laid down in front of the tent, blocking off the entrance.

"Breakfast is ready!" Jethro called out, waking Elly with a jolt. The others woke up a little slower. "Come on out to the terrarium when you're ready!" He turned back and went to see if he could wake Frita. She was in the exact same position that she had been all night; head on the desk in her arms, with Sycamore's lab coat over her as a blanket. Steven and the Fennekin were still in the corner. The little foxlike Pokémon was laying upside down on Steven's back, snoring quietly. Jethro worried about Steven; how long would he take to recover? And would it be a complete recovery? Jethro had answered a call earlier last night from Wallace, wondering where the Champion was. He hadn't had the chance to explain what had happened, because as soon as he said that they were both in Kalos, Wallace had hung up.

Shaking his head, Jethro walked over and put a hand on Frita's shoulder. "Frita," he said softly. "Frita, it's time to get up, I got breakfast ready." Frita didn't budge. She merely groaned and mumbled something. Jethro wasn't quite sure what she said, so he figured it was sleep talk. He furrowed his brow and looked at his hand. Her shoulder felt somewhat strange, as if it were… solid. Like rock or something. Jethro shook his head. _I _am _putting my hand on her shoulder, _he thought. He patted her shoulder again and whispered in her ear. "Come on out when you're ready to eat." He went back to the terrarium and went to his tent. Torterra got up and moved aside so that Jethro could bring out a picnic blanket and the basket. Elly strolled through the new doorway, her hair slightly matted to one side of her head. The rest was put into a ponytail. She smiled down to Marin, who had apparently taken a certain liking to the young tracker. The younger beginning Trainer was asking her question after question, and she was doing her best to keep up with them, smiling the whole time. Valin and Sycamore were deep in a conversation regarding Steven and what they would do to help him, as well as Mega Evolution and its potential. Unsurprisingly, Valin's Lucario had its ears tuned in to the subject, awed at the fact that it could reach a new level of evolution. Cosette and Sophie trudged behind, their hair perfectly fine but rubbing their eyes and yawning nonetheless. Jethro smirked as he lay down the picnic blanket.

"Go on and let your Pokémon out, guys," he told his companions. "I made plenty for everyone." He clapped his hands twice, and his Torterra and Garchomp came over to the picnic area. His other Pokémon burst out of their capsules and settled down nearby. Jethro set down a bowl of Pokémon food for each of them, and they began eating almost immediately. Valin tossed his Poké Balls in the air, releasing his Scolipede, Zapdos, Garchomp, Bisharp, and Latios. Marin and the others were visibly impressed and awed with his collection. Alain had just walked through the doorway and was also visibly impressed. Valin beamed at their admiration.

"Yeah, he has the cool ones," Elly said, "but I have the cute ones!" She tossed her Poké Balls into the air, releasing her Squirtle as well as a Pikachu. Marin immediately ran over to the Pikachu and hugged it. Surprisingly, it didn't electrocute the young Trainer, but instead wriggled free and climbed onto her shoulder, nuzzling her ear with its nose.

"Hey, cut it out, that tickles!" she squealed. Jethro chuckled and sat down, opening the picnic basket. Just as he was reaching in to grab some of the food, he froze, and in the blink of an eye, threw his arm out to one side. The shiny Froakie, which was attempting to leap into the basket, was caught in his hand, its arms restrained to its sides within Jethro's massive grip. It looked at Jethro with bewilderment, unable to process just what had happened and how. He looked the little Water-Type dead in the eyes.

"You'll be fed just like everybody else here," he said, politely but sternly. "But you will _not _jump in like that and take whatever is there without permission. Now, when I said I made plenty of food for everyone," he said, pulling out yet another bowl of Pokémon food, "I meant it." He set Froakie down and handed it the bowl of food. "Made that batch especially for you, little guy," he said, rubbing its head. Froakie looked at it, took a bit of the food in its hand, and ate it. Its face instantly lit up and it sat down to continue eating. Jethro smiled. "I never forget whom to feed," he said. He looked up and smiled as a familiar face came forward. "Especially not the Blaziken that Burner seems to have a crush on!" he grinned.

_"Jethro, I swear, if you were within arm's reach right now…" _Burner muttered to him, and waved to its female counterpart. Both faces lit up, and the female Blaziken sat next to Burner. Jethro passed a food bowl over to her, and she took it gratefully, leaning against Burner and looking up at him. The male Fire-and-Fighting Type visibly blushed and brought its own food bowl closer to its face. Jethro did his best to hide a snicker and turned back around, his smile somewhat fading.

"Something wrong?" Elly muttered to him as she sat down next to him.

"I've seen a lot of things, Elly," he muttered as he handed her a bag of sandwiches marked 'H, My, Tm' to indicate what sandwich it was. "A common occurrence amongst them is a traitor. A plant, a mole, a fraud… I can't shake the feeling that this female Blaziken might be one."

"You've gotten a little paranoid in your time, Jethro," Elly muttered, passing the sandwiches down. "This one's perfectly fine."

"She went from shy and timid by dictionary definition to a social Beautifly in less than a day," Jethro muttered back. "So either Sycamore's got some profound therapy skills, or she's still got some influence from that Dark Ball."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Sycamore muttered. Jethro whipped around, nearly dropping the sandwich in his hand. Sycamore was mere inches away from him, searching for something in the picnic basket. Or pretending to in a professional acting manner.

"How long have you…?" Jethro muttered.

"That Blaziken is as clean as those new windows," Sycamore muttered quickly. "My assistants and I gave her a full evaluation—privacy, free time with the Pokémon around here, and she's taken quite a liking to our Garchomp. She seems to think it'll get something in common with your Burner so they can have a closer connection with each other."

Jethro looked to Elly and back. "Forgive me, but I'm a little skeptic. Why the sudden change?" he asked. Sycamore raised his eyebrows quickly and lowered them again.

"I have my ways," he said, smirking slightly. "Ah! There they are!" he said a little louder, so everyone could here and yet keeping his voice at a talking volume. He procured a container of Pokémon food and some spices. "All due respect, Jethro, but no one knows my Garchomp like I do," he said with a smile. He locked eyes with the Wandering Hero, winked, and then scooted back over to his spot… one space away from Jethro anyway. He shook his head and shrugged to Elly. She was looking at the picnic basket with curiosity.

"That thing's rather big, isn't it?" she asked incredulously. Jethro nodded.

"Remarkably, yes," he admitted. "It's Sycamore's, which makes sense. It's big enough to feed all the Pokémon in this terrarium. And then some," he added as he motioned ahead of him, grinning from ear to ear. Elly looked up and smirked.

"Like you said," she admitted, "you never forget whom to feed."

Frita's Pokémon ambled over. The rest had let themselves out of their Pokeballs, and so the group came to a grand total of Sweetpea the Sneasel, Rupt the Camerupt, Wildfire the Typhlosion, Archaic the Arcanine, and a Pokémon Jethro didn't recognize. It was blue, and looked a lot like a Dragonair with legs. It had two horns on its head and a pair of white wings. It had smaller identical wings on each of its elbow joints and three clawed toes on each foot. It stood in a regal, polite posture, and let out a sing-songy noise before nosing the basket.

Before Jethro could do anything, there was a heavy rumbling and the ground shook beneath them. On the other side of the terrarium glass was a very large, black shadow. This particular shadow came into view as Charlie, the massive Pokémon peeking through the glass to see everyone on the other side. He eyed the food hungrily, but didn't make any move to try to force his massive bulk inside the terrarium. Everyone except Alain, Marin, and Jethro was completely awestruck at seeing the enormous black Charizard (though Marin and Alain looked a little afraid). He stretched his jaws wide in a big yawn and blinked at them. "Raaaaow," he grunted.

"Don't worry, big guy, I made your favorite, too!" he called, digging through the (admittedly large) picnic basket and procuring a large and considerably meaty plate of food. The big guy certainly did like meat, not surprising considering. Jethro went to the terrarium's inner door and opened it, placing the plate on the ground just outside.

Despite his size, Charlie very delicately lapped the meat off the plate and swallowed it in one gulp. It seemed to satisfy him, for the moment at least, but Jethro knew it wasn't nearly enough. _I wonder, how on earth does she manage to feed him every day?_ he thought to himself. He probably ate around half his weight in food every day, at least. Charlie tried to stick his nose in the door and Jethro chuckled. "Easy, big guy. You know you can't fit in here." Charlie let out a sad moan and gave big red puppydog eyes. Jethro chuckled again and rubbed the Pokemon's nose, causing a series of mini-earthquakes as Charlie thumped his tail on the ground like a Growlithe. "Yeah, I know, I wish you could come in too, you big teddy bear. Almost forgot you liked the nose rubbin's," he admitted. He rubbed the gargantuan Pokemon's nose in a wider pattern, and the big guy thumped his tail a little faster, shaking the whole building. "Yeah, you love the nose rubbin's. You luv deh noze rubbin's!" Jethro said in a funny, almost baby-talk voice.

"Uh, Jethro?" Sophie called over. Jethro immediately stopped, pulling his hand away in an upward motion and turning around to look at the group. They were all attempting to keep their balance, and they had all done a rather impressive job of keeping any food from spilling.

Jethro inhaled through his teeth in a grimace. "Sorry, guys," he said. "Got a little carried away. Charlie here's just a big puppy dog, deep down." He patted the large Fire-Type on the nose again. "I don't really get the chance to do that kinda thing all that much."

Charlie let out another sad noise and still had his nose pressed up against the door. _"But I wanna come in too…" _he moaned. He looked absolutely pathetic and dejected, which was the funniest and most ironic thing they'd all seen as of yet.

"I know, buddy, I know," Jethro said, stroking Charlie's nose.

_"He he he! You might be her favorite, but I can still fit in the terrarium!" _Sweetpea snickered. Jethro whipped a stern glare in the Sneasel's direction. The Dark-Type returned it and stuck out his tongue, pulling at the skin under one eye to produce a funny, insulting face.

"Yeah, and if it were up to me, you'd be out there with him. But, since it's not, I'd behave unless you 'mysteriously disappear' and Charlie here gets seconds," Jethro said.

_"I'd like to see you try it, buddy!" _the Sneasel snickered, giving a completely insane and wicked grin. His eyes glinted in a way that unnerved Jethro, and he tried his best to ignore it.

"Contest celebrity," he muttered under his breath. He turned back to Charlie. "You're gonna have to wait until Frita wakes up to see what goes on, buddy," he said. "I think Rayquaza's still flying around somewhere, so you could go and see if it wants to play a little!"

_"Ooooh-kay..." _The massive Charizard said with a sigh. He withdrew his nose and flapped his wings once, taking to the air like it was nothing. Jethro smiled as he watched Charlie go, and turned back to the picnic. Sweetpea snickered again.

_"I'M gonna be the first one she sees today!" _he taunted. Jethro rolled his eyes as he walked back over and sat down. He looked up as a certain hue of vibrant red and orange walked into the terrarium.

"Speaking of Sleeping Beauty," he said, waving, "here she comes now." Everyone else turned to look as Frita came lumbering into sight. They all gave a friendly greeting, and she waved sleepily back. Sweetpea ran right up to her and leaned on her leg. She reached down a hand and patted his head without really thinking about it. His eyes closed and he let out an odd almost purring noise. Jethro furrowed an eyebrow. _Strange little guy, that one, _he thought.

Frita yawned widely and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "How long was I out for?"

"You slept through the rest of the day and the whole night," Jethro said. He handed her a sandwich and she frowned.

"Wait...seriously?" She checked her pocket-watch, the keystone on the front glinting, and blinked. "Jeez...I must have been really tired." She threw Sycamore's coat over his face when she saw him. He pulled it off his head and smiled at her.

"I tried waking you up, but nothing I did fazed you in the slightest," he said. Frita shivered and sat as far from him as possible. She took a bite of the sandwich, and soon devoured it quickly.

"Uh oh," Jethro grinned. "I feel like giving you a taste of food was a bad idea." The words turned out to be true, as Frita's stomach rumbled hungrily. Sycamore gave her permission to raid the fridge and she did exactly that. Jethro looked at Sycamore. "Not sure if _that _was such a good idea, either," he said, somewhat smiling. A few minutes later, she came back munching on a celery stick. A disgruntled lab assistant came in moments later, showing a picture of the now almost empty appliance.

Sycamore's eyes widened. "You weren't kidding, were you?" Jethro grinned widely. "Not in the slightest. Sometimes I'm convinced that she and Charlie could eat a whole herd of Tauros if they wanted." He looked over to Frita, who was staring blankly at them. "You have quite the appetite." Frita shrugged and ignored him, turning to her Pokemon. "Just so you know, Charlie's out flying with Rayquaza," he told her.

"Not a big surprise," Frita said. "He doesn't stick around much, being so big. He'll come when I whistle for him."

Steven stumbled out into the terrarium a few minutes later, and leaned into Frita's back, wrapping his arms around her. She yelped in surprise and turned to look at him. He mumbled something into her shoulder, but before she could answer her PokeTouch rang. She pulled the device out of her coat and had a very short conversation. "Wait I-!" but whoever it was seemed to have hung up. She snorted angrily and grabbed a bottle of water, yanking the cap off like it wasn't even there. She handed it to Steven and fished a pill bottle out of her pocket. She gave him two pills before putting the bottle back and storming away. Her coat flared behind her like a Chimecho's tail. Everyone watched as she left, and then turned to look at Sycamore and Jethro. They looked at each other, shrugged, and looked back to everyone else, still shrugging.

"I don't know, either," Jethro said. He finished his sandwich and got up, brushing the crumbs off his hands and pants. "I'll go make sure she's okay." He walked around the group and walked through the door. He looked into a few of the hallway rooms first, just to see if she took a detour. He came out into the lobby, where a few of the other assistants were relaxing. "Excuse me, did any of you see the Grand Champion come through here?" he asked. One of them pointed to the hallway on the right.

"The fridge-raider went that way," he said. Jethro snickered.

"Thanks," he said, and walked down the hallway. He came to foyer, where he and his Pokemon first met Sycamore's Garchomp. After looking around at the newly-refurbished room, he heard Frita's voice coming from outside. He walked over to one of the windows next to the door and looked out. She was on her PokeTouch, talking to someone on the other line. Jethro looked down, and saw that she was looking at a bracelet on her wrist. Jethro remembered that bracelet; Steven made it for her some time ago. He had told Jethro about this very intricate piece of jewelry he made for someone…special to him. He was worried though, for he knew that the metal would eventually corrode or tarnish, only being plated, and he wished he had used a better material. Jethro had assured him that whomever the bracelet was for, he was sure she'd love it. It must've been someone _very _special to him, Jethro had concluded. He didn't really make very many things as much as collect them, and for him to put a Fire Stone in a bracelet… that was truly admirable of him.

He looked up as Frita continued talking. She looked almost like she wanted to cry. "I wish you were here," she said, almost in a whisper, and sighed. She seemed to be doing a lot of that lately.

"I'd rather tell you in person..." The person on the other end apparently said something. Jethro could've sworn he recognized that voice.

She started in alarm. "Oh, Arceus no! Not unless you want to!" There was another reply and Frita smiled. "Thanks, Wallace." _I knew it! _Jethro thought. Frita hung up the phone with a satisfied click, wiping one of her eyes. Walking slowly to the door, Jethro put a hand on the handle. He pulled down on it and opened it quietly.

"Frita?" he asked gently. She nearly jumped five feet in the air, and turned to look at him, covering her bracelet hurriedly. She straightened her jacket and frowned.

"You know, it's rude to eavesdrop on people's phone calls," she said, trying to sound irritated but failing.

Jethro smiled a little. "I've only been here about three minutes," he said. "I'm sorry if I interrupted something." He looked down to Frita's wrist again. "It's a really nice bracelet," he said. "I'm sure it was very pretty when the metal wasn't so tarnished."

Frita's face fell. "Yeah…" She shook her head and dug in her bag for something. It was a simple brown leather one with a large pocket and a few small ones on the outside and inside. It closed with a single strap in the middle with a buckle on it. She pulled out a pair of headphones and walked inside, moving with apparent purpose. Jethro stood aside and closed the door, following in her wake. They went back to the terrarium and Frita walked over to Steven, who had apparently challenged Torterra to a staring contest. She plopped the headphones on his head, and he instantly stared off into space as an upbeat tune began to play. Eventually, he looked off towards the windows, and sat back. Torterra smiled and turned back to its food bowl without making a sound, content with its victory. Jethro breathed a sigh of relief. _Thank goodness. Maybe now he won't wander off and do who-knows-what, _he thought to himself. He looked over to see Sycamore attempting to flirt with Frita again, but she had shut him down instantly.

"I wonder how Lysandre's research is going?" she wondered aloud.

"You know," Sycamore started, "he has a Cafe here in town." Jethro, Elly, and Valin looked at him in surprise. They looked to each other, and Jethro knelt down in front of them.

"I have a bad feeling about the guy," he muttered to both of them. "He seemed really… agitated with the Sinister Division. As if they were intruding on his turf or something. I know he's developed a lot of tech here, but he's not the Champion of this Region."

"I think I saw him before," Valin said. "That hairdo isn't easy to forget. I was investigating some strange activity here earlier, near a town named… Geosenge, I think…? Anyway, I saw him with two other people, both with that ridiculous color of hair. They walked out of town a little ways, and suddenly they disappeared. No trace of where they went whatsoever." Jethro stroked his goatee.

"That means they have some secret lair or something… and if he has people with the same hair color… that's gotta mean an organization," he said.

"What do we do about him?" Elly asked.

"For now, nothing," Jethro replied. "We don't have enough on him to go on an assault or arrest him." He looked back to see Sycamore and Frita taking off, most likely for the cafe. He turned back to Elly. "Follow them to the Cafe. Frita will most likely detect you somehow, but don't worry, she won't blow your cover. Just make sure she stays safe, and see if you can find Lysandre."

Elly nodded. She waited a few minutes before calling her Lucario to her, and they went off in pursuit.

"Good luck," Jethro said to himself.


	12. Chapter 12: A Secret Revealed

Elly and her Lucario made sure not to get too close to Frita and the Professor while they made their way through the city of Lumiose. They headed down the South Boulevard to the left, turned right to the Bleu Plaza, right again through Vert, Jaune, and Rouge Plazas, then up to North Boulevard and around to Magenta Plaza. As they passed through Autumnal Avenue, Elly checked her PokeNav. They had almost made an entire circle through the city! A pointless one, at that- Sycamore's lab was a short distance away from where they were now! She looked up at him. His nonchalant manner was a bit too perfect, as if he had another motive. Probably to flirt with Frita, but he seemed to have wisened up to attempting that with the Grand Champion.

Sycamore had suddenly turned right in the alleyway just before hitting Magenta Plaza, cutting Frita off. Elly stopped in front of a city map as she saw Frita knit her brow, turning her head slightly. But then she realized that the Grand Champion was instead focusing on the bright red awning that Sycamore was underneath.

"Why am I not surprised that Lysandre's cafe would have such a flamboyant color?" she asked her Lucario without moving her head.. It shook its head in agreement as they hung back, waiting for their pursuees to enter. A few seconds after the door closed behind Frita, Elly pretended to point at the cafe in suggestion to her partner, and they began to cross the street. Before they could, however, a young man stepped in front of them, cutting them off. He was holding a rose in one hand, and was extending it towards Elly.

"_Bonjour, mademoiselle," _he said, his voice a tad overconfident. "You look a little lost. May I 'elp you?"

"Actually, we've found our way just fine, thank you," Elly said, not moving. The young man chuckled and slightly frowned. Elly hadn't taken the rose he offered, so he merely put it in his inner coat pocket. She sized him up; four inches taller than herself, medium build, clean hair, white teeth (a bit too white for her taste), and a stubble beard covering an angular jawline. His eyes were bright blue, and looking at Elly right in her own. Judging by how his shirt fit, Elly deducted that this guy worked out a little… but not enough.

"Well, may I join you? I could non resist your beauty, so I '_ad _to say 'ello and introduce myself! My name is Alphonse," the young man said, bowing.

"Uh-huh," Elly said indifferently. "Look, buddy, I don't mind the flirtation much, but your fake accent is just _terrible. _I suggest you try someone else who hasn't been in the city for more than 5 minutes." She began to walk past him, but he grabbed her arm rather forcefully. She froze, and Lucario growled immediately at him.

"I don't know who you are or how you figured that out, lady," the man said, his voice becoming his own. From what Elly could tell, this guy was from somewhere in Johto. "But one thing's for sure." He tossed a PokeBall in the air, releasing his Gengar. "You're coming with me," the Trainer said. The Gengar sneered at Lucario with its signature smile and leaned toward it, casting a shadow over it. However, Lucario's reaction was unexpected; it merely glared back with more ferocity, snarling. Gengar froze, unsure what to do.

"Now, you have one of two options," Elly said lowly, snapping the Trainer's attention back to her. "You can either leave us alone and walk away unscathed, or… limp away in a remarkable amount of pain. Pick your poison." Alphonse straightened up and took a step back. He looked down to see that her other hand was on the handle of her sword, and he gulped hard. He returned Gengar and fled, exclaiming in fear. Elly relaxed and smirked, as did her Lucario. She looked down to it and beamed.

"We still got it," she said, and strolled over to Lysandre's Cafe. She hadn't walked ten steps before hearing Frita bellow something she never thought she'd hear come out of a Grand Champion's mouth.

"_**GRANBULLCRAP!" **_

Elly and the surrounding passerby stopped and looked at the Cafe. While everyone else merely shrugged and continued about their day, Elly and Lucario dashed up to the front window and took cover out of sight from inside. She flattened herself next to the window, while Lucario crouched beneath it. It put one of its paws to the wall and closed its eyes. The four appendages on the back of its head rose as it read the aura within the Cafe. Elly peered in, being very careful to not be seen. She could see Frita staring down the garcon, as well as Sycamore, who was looking at her with a confused face. The garcon's face remained blank, bordering annoyed. Elly leaned back and crouched down, putting a hand to Lucario's shoulder. She closed her eyes, and she could instantly see what Lucario saw.

"_What's going on?" _she asked through telepathy.

"My drink had Seviper Venom in it!" Frita said from inside. Lucario's eyebrows rose.

"_There's your answer," _it said. "_There's definitely something off about her aura, though, and I detected it before she drank it… it's unlike anything I've ever sensed before. I don't know what it is, either, but- hang on."_

"_What is it?" _Elly asked. As the garcon sent out a Scrafty, Lucario's vision turned to the bookcase at the other end of the room. A faint aura could be seen behind it, and it was getting stronger. It was bright orange on the outside, but on the inside it was a dark purple-ish-blue.

"_Don't tell me," _Elly said solemnly. "_Please don't don't tell me it's him."_

"_It is, Elly," _Lucario said, turning its head towards her. "_It's that Lysandre character." _

Elly let go of Lucario and stood up, taking care not to be seen as she retook her position beside the window. As she slowly looked in, she could see the tall man emerge from behind the bookcase; it was a secret door of some kind. He stepped silently into the room and stood in front of it, holding it to make sure it didn't make a sound while it closed. Frita and Sycamore had their backs turned to him, facing the Scrafty and a Liepard. The Scrafty was thrown into its Trainer after attempting a failed Low Kick. The next sound they heard was Lysandre's voice, booming so loudly that it rattled the windows, making Elly and her partner retreat. Lucario looked at her with a confused look.

"_He seems to be genuinely concerned for Sycamore's safety," _it said through telepathy. Elly looked at the window, as if to glare at Lysandre from where she stood.

"Psychopath," she muttered.

"_There's more to it than that," _Lucario told her, "_but he's coming outside!" _The two darted around the corner and leapt up the walls of the Cafe and the building beside it, leaping back and forth between each wall. They landed on top of the Cafe and watched Lysandre as he dragged the two goons out and over to Officer Jenny.

Elly whipped out her PokeNav again and sent Jethro a short text: **Trouble at cafe. Frita poisoned. Lysandre's nuts; aura check not good. Approach Frita with caution, rather temperamental. Instructions on how to proceed, O Wise One?**

She closed the Nav and watched Frita and Sycamore walk away, then opened it again as it vibrated, indicating Jethro's reply.

**I'll handle Frita. Steven's recovering from his concussion, so we may have an edge there. I'll play it cool at first, so as not to indicate your presence. As for Lysandre…**

**Let Frita and Sycamore return on their own. Pursue Lysandre but DO NOT ENGAGE UNLESS NECESSARY. Report findings and await my word. Wise One out. ;P**

Elly smirked at his reply and eyed the orange-haired man as he got into a car and drove off. She nodded to her Lucario and they leapt from rooftop to rooftop in pursuit, not letting him out of their sight.

* * *

Jethro closed his PokeNav and let out a long breath.

"What's up?" Valin asked him. Jethro glanced behind them to make sure no one was listening, then leaned towards his cousin.

"Something's up with Frita," he whispered. "I'm not sure of the details, but it happened at Lysandre's cafe. According to her and her Lucario, his aura indicates bad news. She said he's nuts, but we'll have to wait to hear back from her to figure out just how much. She's tracking him now."

"So what do we do?" Valin asked.

"Just play it cool until we can get Frita some help," Jethro replied.

"Do we tell her that Elly informed us?" his cousin asked. He raised an eyebrow and straightened up.

"Do you _really _think that's a good idea?" he asked. Valin thought for a few seconds and nodded his head.

"Good point," he agreed. He looked down to the pond, where Froakie was enjoying a good swim. "Are you sure you can handle this one, Jethro? I know how you can be with discipline and your emotions."

"Hey, now, I've been working on them," Jethro retaliated. "And I think I'm getting better!" Valin nodded in agreement as they both looked up. Frita's Pokemon had stirred, and all of them were facing the door of the terrarium, where Steven was standing. A few moments later, Frita herself walked through the door, a highly-annoyed expression on her face. Sycamore was walking beside her with a face of worry. Her Pokemon all ran over to greet her, and Steven took his headphones out to look at her. Jethro discreetly nodded to Valin, and they slowly made their way over to her.

"Are you alright?" they heard Steven ask. "What happened?!"

"What's wrong?" Jethro called over, beginning to jog.

"Frita's been poisoned!" Sycamore replied, clearly worried out of his skull. Jethro broke into a dead sprint, allowing his own worry to show on his face and in his body language.

"How many times to I have to tell you I'm fine before you just calm down and admit that _I'm fine?" _Frita growled. Valin slowed to a hurried walk, confused. Jethro noticed too; she seemed more irritated than before.

"Stop lying to yourself, Frita, you're poisoned," Jethro said as he slowed to a walk again. "No one's ever 'fine' when poisoned. Now, please, let me help an old friend out and don't fight this. I know you get irritated when everyone frets over your health when it's nothing you don't think is serious," he said as he knelt next to his backpack and began to dig through a certain pocket, "but believe me, this is more serious than you're treating it." He procured a few Pecha Berries from the pocket, and pulled out a medicine bowl and a grinder as well. He zipped the pocket back up and went into the Medicine one, picking out a water bottle. With incredible speed and skill, he ground the Berries into a paste and put some of it on two fingers. He stood up and walked over to Frita. "Now Frita, please," he said, looking her right in the eyes, "let me help. Leave this stuff on your face for a few minutes until the poison has completely dissipated." He extended his hand to apply it to her cheeks, but she leaned away from him and took a step back. She glared him right in the eyes and he stopped, a confused and slightly hurt look on his face.

"I'm. _Fine," _she growled, taking a couple more steps back. "I don't need your Pecha Berry paste." Jethro sighed and looked at Steven, hoping he'd help calm her down somehow. He shook his head and looked back to her for a minute.

"Frita-" he started, but she cut him off.

"I said I'M FINE!" she bellowed. She stomped her foot, shaking the building and shattering one of the floor tiles. Steam shot from her nose and her eyes lit up like fireworks. Her shoulders were hunched in a defensive position and she was almost snarling. "I'm fine."

Jethro took a few cautious steps back, unable to quite comprehend what just happened. Steven- surprisingly calm- walked over to Jethro's backpack and pulled out a few more Pecha Berries. He brushed them off on his shirt and handed one to Frita, who glared at him.

"Here," he said. "They're sweet. I know you love sweet things." She looked down at the berry and back at Steven before slowly taking it. Her eyes dimmed and she seemed to calm down some as she took a bite. Jethro sighed with relief and put a hand to his forehead.

"I was going to ask you to give her the paste instead of me," he said to Steven, "but you have known her for a much longer time than I have. I should've asked your advice first." He looked down at his fingers and licked the paste. The taste wasn't naturally Pecha Berry at all! He stuck out his tongue in disgust and scraped the paste on the edge of the bowl, smacking his lips. "I forgot… I had some Nomel Berries mixed in this thing last time. Didn't wash it out beforehand," he said. He spat the paste out of his mouth and poured some of the water bottle out into the bowl, washing it out.

Frita finished eating the first berry and eyed the other one in Steven's hand. He calmly handed it to her, and she began to nibble on it, her expression somewhat softening. She walked over and sat down on a bench, munching away, staring off into space. Sycamore walked over to Steven.

"Is that normal?" he asked quietly. "Because I feel like that was inhuman."

Steven looked over at him. "It's not the first time I've seen her act like this," he said. "But that is most definitely not a normal human ability, Professor. When was the last time you shattered a marble tile and shook a building by stomping?"

Sycamore nodded. "Fair point," he admitted. "I thought that was extremely odd. And the steam…"

"Even for as long as I've known her, I've never seen her do quite that. And is it just me, or did her eyes actually…y'know…glow? As in 'nightlight in the dark' glow?" Jethro asked lowly as he and Valin approached them. "I know she can be incredibly defensive, especially of others, but…to behave like that when offered help? To me, that just seems...illogical. Rash. Slightly inhuman, actually, like you said, Professor. Like some kind of wild Pokemon backed in a corner, afraid and snarling to keep any chance of harm from coming near."

"To be fair, she was poisoned," Valin said. "That can cause some people to act erratically."

Steven nodded. "She acted this way the last time she was poisoned too," he said, crossing his arms. "However, I've seen her act out like this when she's not poisoned as well. When she gets her feelings hurt she'll push everyone away, literally. She'll throw things, too. Things no ordinary human could lift, to try to scare everyone off."

Jethro looked at him in shock. "It's a good thing I'm not her bodyguard or anything, I could never handle that correctly," he said. "Is there anyone who can calm her down, or does everyone just evacuate and wait for her to do it herself?"

"Only people she completely trusts," Steven replied. "Myself, though Keith and Wallace are both better at it than me. Given time she'd probably trust you enough too." Jethro nodded and smiled a little. Keith? he thought to himself. I know I've heard that name before… Why the heck does that ring a bell? Steven's face suddenly turned to shock, and Jethro followed his gaze over to Frita, who had curled up on the bench to go to sleep.

Her long coat hung to one side, giving the four men a clear view of her back. Running down it, and apparently starting from her shoulder blades, were two good sized stone ridges. They weren't very high though, and were actually almost flat. Poking out above the waistline of her jeans was a stubby little tail with one tiny ridged bump on it.

Jethro covered his mouth to keep from gasping too loudly. He put a hand on Steven's shoulder and squeezed his eyes shut. His head swam with questions and answers at the same time, and he eventually got his bearings again. "Please tell me I'm dreaming," he muttered. He opened his eyes, his face solemn. "There's gotta be a Darkrai or a Hypno around here somewhere, and this has got to be some kind of...illusion…" he trailed off, hanging his head. How did he not figure that out…?

"'Fraid not," Sycamore said, staring at Frita's back with the rest of them. "I see it, too. She's got a tail and stone plates on her back."

Jethro half heartedly glared at him and said, "Thank you, Captain Obvious." This earned him a dirty look from the Professor as he walked over to Frita to examine her back, Steven right behind him. They crouched down to observe the stone plates sticking out from her shoulder blades.

"I thought her shoulder felt unnaturally hard," Jethro muttered. "And even when I gave her that back rub last night, her shoulder blades seemed...well, I thought they were her shoulder blades poking out." He put a hand to his mouth and shifted his weight, his head starting to swim again. Steven put a hand on her back, and after a minute his eyes widened. He grabbed her now limp wrist and put two fingers to it.

"How…?!" he asked aloud.

Sycamore stood, looking at him. "What's wrong?" he asked. Steven turned back to him, completely flabbergasted.

"She's not breathing, but her pulse hasn't changed at all," he said. As he finished, he put her arm back down and frowned. "And she's ridiculously warm."

"So we were pretty much on the mark with 'inhuman', it seems," Jethro muttered. "So what exactly is she, if not human?"

Sycamore looked up at him. "That seems to be the question of the hour. I'll go down to the library and see what I might be able to dig up based on her reactions to things." He walked to the terrarium door, looked at Frita one last time, and left. Jethro began to pace.

"Alright, so she has extra strength, reacts to poison in an inhuman way, her eyes freaking glow… I can't believe I didn't think twice about her hard skin," he said after a while.

"Hey, it's not your fault," Steven said. "After all, I've known her for the longest time out of the three of us," he motioned to himself, Jethro, and Valin, "and she kept it a secret from me for all that time!"

"She's pretty good at keeping herself at a low profile enough to pass as a human," Valin observed, "and yet able to convince people that her actions are merely the result of a fiery personality."

"True," Jethro admitted, "but the way she sleeps has me thinking...what if it's a form of stasis? I mean, she hardly reacts to anything when she's out, and if she keeps the same pulse while having a high body temperature… then I don't think she has a regular human heart." He stopped cold in his pacing and looked at Valin. They both had the same looks; they could tell something was coming.

"I think we have company," Steven said, looking up. Jethro and Valin looked up as well, and could see a strange helicopter approaching from above. Within seconds, a large group of people infiltrated the terrarium, all of them wearing large sunglasses and the same ridiculous red-orange costume design. Jethro and Valin both drew their swords, taking defensive positions in front of Steven and Frita as their Pokemon ran to their sides.

"Valin?" Jethro asked.

"Yeah?" his cousin replied. Jethro glanced at him.

"These the guys you were talking about earlier?"

Valin nodded. "Yeah, these be the ones."

Jethro turned his attention back to them. "Figured as much."

The grunts released every Pokemon they had, sending them all into battle against the entire group. Steven unleashed his own Pokemon and stood beside Jethro and Valin.

"If you want anything, you'll have to go through us!" he bellowed.

"You've got three Champions standing between you and whatever it is you want, folks!" Jethro roared. "You're biting off more than you can chew!" The newcomers unleashed a barrage of attacks, throwing up a huge cloud of dust at them. Jethro side-stepped in front of Steven and tapped the armor on his shoulder. A small force field appeared around them, preventing dust from getting in their eyes.

"Nice touch," Steven said, admiring the blue energy around them.

"I tinker in my spare time," Jethro smirked. The dust cleared, and Jethro straightened up, deactivating the force field. There was no one there. All the intruders had disappeared. "Don't tell me. I know," he said, returning his Pokemon. He looked up slightly and slumped his weight on one leg. "That was all a diversion and something's gone, right?" Steven looked at him like he was speaking an alien language, and then turned around. His eyes widened and he barreled out of the front doors, his fists clenched in fury. Jethro and Valin followed him out and looked up and down the street, but the goons seemed to have disappeared into thin air.

"They took Frita!" Steven shouted.


	13. Chapter 13: Lysandre's Lab

Elly and Lucario followed Lysandre all the way to his lab, keeping a distance at all times. They kept to the trees most of the time, attempting to stay out of sight. After almost twenty minutes, they came to a clearing with a large building complex. The two trackers followed the car around to the parking lot and crouched behind some shrubbery. They watched as Lysandre got out of the car, looked around, and went inside the complex. Elly placed a hand on her partner's shoulder again, connecting their aura once more.

_"Alright, Lucario, what can we see?" _she asked.

_"Lysandre, primarily. Everything else is all strange to me," _her partner replied. _"From what I can tell, there's a bunch of scientists on the lower levels… there's a female individual with some interest, but she's in a separate room reading a book… and one strange Pokemon- or rather… a part of a whole…?"_

_"Say what now?"_

_"I'm not all that sure, either… but they seem to be using it in some sort of experiment."_

_"Why am I not surprised?" _Elly asked sourly.

_"Same here, but that's not where Lysandre's going," _Lucario observed. _"I believe he's using some kind of communicator, but to whom he's talking to, I am unsure."_

Elly let go of Lucario. "Well, we can't film what he's doing or get a picture of whatever he's up to for Jethro unless we get in there, can we?" she asked, observing the security cameras on the sides of the building. She took a Pokeball from her belt and opened it, releasing her Pikachu. It immediately ran up to her shoulder and nuzzled her gently. She scratched its chin and turned to the building. "See those cameras?" she asked it. The electric mouse nodded and smiled. "Take 'em out, but be subtle about your approach," Elly said. Pikachu leapt off Elly's shoulder, ran through the bushes off to the left, and emerged from them, walking casually towards a corner of the building. One of the cameras swiveled down to the little mouse, which kept walking calmly forward. It looked up at the camera with a confused look, and jumped up a ladder to its left. It walked over to the camera, which had followed its movement up to the ceiling. Pikachu inspected the camera as if it were curiously looking for a playmate, and then nuzzled the side of it with its cheeks, shorting it out with the electricity stored inside. It then looked towards Elly and waved its tail, signaling an all-clear from that angle.

"Way to go, little buddy!" Elly whispered. "Now cut the lines for the rest of the security measures." Pikachu heard everything with its sensitive ears, and looked down at the camera, finding two wires underneath the main housing. It chewed the wires out, put one to each cheek, and let out a Thunderbolt. Every camera on the ledge of the building popped, bursting into smoke. Pikachu dropped the wires and chuckled mischievously, running back down the ladder. Just as it got there, however, two men in suits burst out of a door not too far away. Pikachu froze, looking at the men in surprise. It then acted afraid, jumping from the ladder and screaming, making a mad dash for the bushes. One of the men pursued it, while the other began to climb the ladder.

"Now's our chance," Elly muttered. She and Lucario dashed for the ladder, keeping out of the guards' peripheral vision. The one chasing Pikachu followed it into the bushes, and Elly and Lucario came to the ladder, just underneath the other. She knelt down, allowing Lucario to leap up and knock the man unconscious with a sharp kick just as he got to the roof. Elly climbed the ladder like a Mankey, and drug the man over to the ventilation air duct. She then used her sword to loosen the screws on the vent cover, and Lucario gently lowered it to the ceiling. Pikachu came bounding up the ladder, and leapt up to Elly's shoulder again.

"You knock the other guy out?" she asked. Pikachu nodded, its cheeks sparking. "Oh, so you nuzzled him, you cute little thing!" she squealed, scratching its chin. "After you two," she said, and her Pokémon lowered themselves into the duct. She then crawled in after them, pulling the cover tightly over the lip of the duct, securing it in place.

Lucario was in front, leading the group with its aura. They crawled silently through the air ducts, turning left, right, straight for a while, and then down gradually. After a few moments, they heard Lysandre's voice up ahead, as well as some machinery. They came to a vent, and peered through, seeing Lysandre standing in a large clearing. A set of low tracks were in front of him, and a small train arrived through a tunnel to Lysandre's right. Elly and Pikachu put a hand to Lucario, aura-connecting again.

_"Who's in there, buddy?" _she asked.

_"A few more scientists, but there are two more individuals in there that are... significantly different," _Lucario said.

_"Different how?" _Pikachu asked.

_"Well, the woman sitting on the far side of the vehicle has a rather bright aura… as if she's… one of us." _Lucario straightened up. _"She's a fake. She's not one of Lysandre's goons… she's an insider on our side!" _

_"Great, an ally!" _Elly said. She looked down at the other aura, a bright orange white-core glow. _"Well, now who's that one being restrained?" _

Her PokéGear suddenly vibrated, causing her to almost yelp. She took it out, seeing that it was a text from Jethro.

**FRITA'S BEEN ABDUCTED! SIT REP NOW!**

Elly's pulse elevated. He never used capitals unless he was serious or furious. Lucario nudged her shoulder, and she looked up, covering her mouth.

It was Frita! She was unconscious and restrained in some strange golden rings, being carried out of the transit train to Lysandre.

"She's prepped and ready, sir," the other woman said. She had curly blonde hair and a handheld tablet device.

"Excellent," Lysandre said. "Take her to the test chamber." He turned and walked, the others following him. The blonde woman glanced right up at Elly and her Pokémon, causing them to tense up.

"How did she-?" Elly began, but her Lucario reached for her arm, connecting them.

_"Listen carefully," _the woman said through Lucario. _"There's not much time. Lysandre's going to use her as a power source for a massive weapon, but I can delay the process for a short time, allowing your friends to take action against him if they get here soon enough. You need to hurry and contact them before she's destroyed!" _With that, the connection was severed, and Elly immediately texted Jethro back.

**Lysandre at this location. Frita here in captivity, out cold. Unknown ally will assist in a time delay. Hurry!**

She sent the message with their current location, and closed the PokéGear quietly. She then began to crawl through the vents, following the goons and keeping an eye on the Grand Champion.

"Hang on, Frita," she whispered. "We're coming."

* * *

**_"That evil, twisted, conniving son of a Ditto! I'm gonna tear him apart!"_** Jethro roared. He closed his PokéNav with a loud _slap! _His teeth were bared, and his breathing was deep.

"You can have what's left of him after we're _all _done saving Frita," Valin said sternly, not moving. Jethro moved his head in his direction a little, still staring furiously at the pavement.

Steven ceased his frantic pacing, surprised that his cousin dared to reply in such a tone. Frankly, he had never seen him this furious. Frita, perhaps, yes- even more so, on a few occasions- but Jethro usually managed to keep a cool demeanor, as far as he knew.

"Now Jethro, you need to focus," Valin said, a tad gentler. "Show us the coordinates that Elly sent." Jethro flipped the PokéNav open again, his thumb moving in a blur to access the location of their friend. He opened a small menu and went down to an operation, selected it, and pressed a button on his Poketch. A holographic map appeared from the watch, and Jethro held it out for the others to see.

"These are the coordinates," Jethro said lowly. He put a finger and a thumb inside the hologram and brought them together, zooming the map out. "It's about twenty minutes from here by car."

"By car?" Steven asked. "What do you mean?" Jethro deactivated the map and looked up to his left. The others looked with him. "Ohh, of course," Steven said. "I forgot about that."

Rayquaza descended rapidly to the three of them, creating a sudden gust of wind in its wake. It lowered its head to Jethro.

_"I have felt your rage and your fear," _it said. _"I came as soon as I could." _Jethro stroked the black dragon's nose and put his forehead on the Pokémon's own.

"Thank you, old friend," he said quietly. He looked up as another whooshing sound was heard, and saw Charlie fly down to them, landing next to them and causing the ground to shake. His face was twisted with anger, pain, and sadness, and a few tears were in his eyes and on his cheeks. Jethro walked over to him and hugged his nose, stroking him.

"I know, big guy, I know," he said gently. He then looked the massive Fire-Type right in the eye. "We're gonna get her back no matter what." Charlie lifted his head and roared, shaking the earth. Its sound matched how he felt; angry, sad, and desperate. Jethro turned back to the others and nodded.

"Gentlemen," he said. "We're going to rescue the Grand Champion and put an end to Lysandre's scheme, whatever it may be. Prepare yourselves and your Pokémon, for today…we go to war."

Frita's Pokémon burst through the front doors, running up to Jethro and the others. Steven strode rather briskly over to Charlie, looking the Pokémon in the face. For a second, Jethro wondered why he didn't just take his Skarmory, but there seemed to be an understanding between man and Pokémon that he didn't want to question.

Charlie bent his body down for Steven to climb on his back. After a few seconds, all of Frita's Pokémon piled on after him. Charlie stayed crouched on all fours to keep from throwing them off. He was clearly ready to go, and now.

Jethro and Valin climbed onto Rayquaza's back, holding on tight. Without a word, both Pokémon took off with incredible speed, heading straight for the lab.

"Hang in there, Frita," Jethro said. "We're coming."

He suddenly heard a faint tune, and felt his PokéNav vibrating in its pocket. He took it out and opened it, pressing it to his ear. "Hello!" he shouted over the wind.

"It's Professor Sycamore!" came the voice over the phone. "Where are you guys going?"

"Frita was just kidnapped by Lysandre's goons!" Jethro shouted.

"What?!" Sycamore squawked.

"I'll explain later!" Jethro yelled. "Did you find anything at the library?"

"Actually, yes! I found something that might explain what she is!" Sycamore said louder.

"Hang on, I gotta put the phone down for a second!" Jethro cut in as they began to descend. He looked down past his Pokémon and saw a large building complex. He could see a man on the roof, his back leaning against an air duct. "Good eyes!" he yelled, patting Rayquaza. They landed outside, and everyone dismounted. Jethro put the Nav back up to his ear. "What was it that you found?" he asked.

Valin unsheathed his sword and released hisPokémon, looking at Steven as he did the same. He looked over to Jethro. His face was in shock, and he had frozen with the phone a little distance from his head.

"What is it?" Valin asked. Jethro looked at him, fear in his eyes for a brief second. His face then turned to determination and rage.

"Thanks, Professor. Stay there until we get back," he said, closing the Nav and unleashing his Pokémon.

"What did he say?" Steven asked. Jethro had already drawn his own sword.

"We need to get her out of there before Lysandre does something incredibly stupid," he said. "I advise you cover your ears," he added as he pointed his sword at the building. "Rayquaza! Dragon Pulse!" he shouted. Rayquaza reared its head back and unleashed a beam of energy from it mouth at the building. The front of the complex exploded, sending debris everywhere. Out of the corner of his eye, Jethro saw the man from the roof go flying. He rolled his eyes and nodded towards him. "Catch him," he said. Rayquaza zoomed into the sky, catching the man before he hit the treetops. He dropped him in front of the complex, where he began to regain consciousness. Jethro knelt down and stabbed the sword into the ground just in front of the man's face. The man opened his eyes wide and looked up to see Jethro's furious expression. After a moment of stillness and listening to the internal alarms, Jethro grinned slyly, almost evilly.

"I don't suppose you'd care to be our escort?" he asked.


	14. Chapter 14: In Pursuit of a Friend

Elly had followed Lysandre and Frita down the hallway as best she could. They turned a corner walking away from them, causing the three to wait until they disappeared to finally climb out of the vents. Pikachu went first, landing on all fours, cheeks sparking. Lucario landed next, an Aura Sphere at the ready. Elly landed in a kneeling position, her sword drawn. The three dashed down the hallway, halting at the corner that their targets turned down. A sign hung from the ceiling just above her head. "Entering Building C: Basement" it read.

"Great," she muttered. "How much more of this complex do we have to search before we get to Frita?"

A sudden explosion shook the entire complex, and an alarm immediately began blaring. Red lights began to flash in every hallway, and Elly and her Pokémon looked about frantically.

"This is a code red, repeat; code red! Building A has been attacked! All personnel evacuate immediately!" a voice blared over the intercoms. Elly slumped her shoulders.

"Again with the not calling anyone, Jethro," she said in disappointment. "Woulda been nice to know that was coming."

"Everyone back to the transit vehicle!" Lysandre bellowed. "We move to the secret base _now!" _Elly and her partners ran off as the tall man and his goons came running out into the hallway, Frita over his shoulder. Just as they reached the transit car, they froze. Elly was standing in front of them, sword in both hands. She stared Lysandre dead in the eyes.

"Let Frita go, you overgrown nutcase!" she snarled.

"You don't understand," Lysandre said calmly. "None of you do. It's not like I _want _to do this, but this is all necessary. For the whole world!"

"Same story with all the other psychopaths we've come across," Elly said. "Only they never used a _human being _as a power source!"

"That's where you're mistaken, I'm afraid," Lysandre said with a smirk. "The Grand Champion is far from human." He reached for a Pokéball.

"I have no idea what that's supposed to mean," Elly said, raising her sword, "but I'll sort it out with Jethro later." Lysandre lowered his hand for an underhand toss, but a split second before the ball opened, Pikachu leapt out from the air vent and smacked it back to him. His Pyroar burst from the ball, falling into him and knocking him and Frita onto the floor. The scientists moved to release their own Pokémon, but Lucario came up from behind them and kicked them all to the ground. Just as it landed, however, it was tackled from behind by the other woman's Lucario, slamming into Pikachu. Elly glared at the blonde, who darted her eyes from Lysandre and back to her.

_Believe me, I didn't want to have to do this. But I can't risk having my cover blown. I'm sorry, _Elly heard her say through telepathy.

She rolled her eyes. _Great, _she thought. _Gotta make it convincing. _She lunged at the woman, who deftly- and surprisingly- managed to knock her balance off and toss her into the wall, knocking the wind out of her lungs. Lysandre and the scientists got up, groaning, and Pyroar was returned to its Pokéball.

"What do we do with her?" one of the scientists asked.

**_"LYSANDRE!" _**a voice hollered from down the hallway. Everyone turned to see Jethro, Valin, Steven, their Pokémon (that could fit inside), and their captive- being held by the collar in Jethro's Tyranitar's mouth- running towards them. Lysandre looked at them and scrambled to his feet, hefting Frita over his shoulder once again.

"Forget about her," he said. "We leave now!" With that, they scurried into the car, the doors closing behind them.

"No!" Jethro shouted, making a mad sprint for the transit car. Burner rushed past him, flying through the air as it hurled its fist forward in a Thunder Punch attack. It slammed into the glass, but it didn't shatter. Instead, the attack bounced off as the transit car disappeared into the tunnel. Jethro came to a stop at the platform, roared in anguish, and swung his sword into the wall, nearly embedding the front half of the blade. After a moment of heavy breathing, he inhaled deeply and exhaled, pulling the sword free, sheathing it, and turning to Burner.

"Is your hand okay?" he asked.

_"I'll be okay," _his Pokémon said, shaking and flexing its hand. _"Probably a bit sore, but nothing too serious." _

"Alright," Jethro said. He looked at their prisoner with a death glare and walked up to him. "Where does that transit car go to?" he asked.

"Straight underneath Lysandre's cafe in Lumiose!" he replied shakily.

"There's gotta be a fork in the rails somewhere down the line," Elly said, returning her Pikachu. "Lysandre said they were heading to a secret base somewhere." Jethro glanced at Elly and glared back at the 'escort'.

"Anything else you're hiding?" Jethro said lowly.

"Okay, okay!" the man squealed. "The base is located outside of-"

"Geosenge," Valin cut in. Everyone looked to him. "That would explain why I lost those goons when I was in Kalos before; they went into their little base from a hidden entrance." Jethro looked to the man once again, and up to his Tyranitar.

"Lean down a little, big guy," he said. "I need one more thing from this guy." Tyranitar lowered the man closer to Jethro, and he leaned forward to look the man square in the eyes. He whipped out his PokéNav, causing the man to flinch. "I'd like you to type in the exact coordinates to the base, if you don't mind," he said calmly. The man looked at Jethro and smirked, apparently seeing his kindness as a weakness.

"And if I refuse?" he taunted. Elly put a hand to her forehead, while Valin merely scoffed. Jethro's brow furrowed.

"Then your bravado will be the last act of idiocy you ever pull," he said lowly, bringing the sword to the man's throat. "Now you can either die by a sword in the hands of a furious Pokémon Champion," he said, glancing behind the man, "or you can be eaten by a Tyranitar." He growled his last sentence, wiping all the smugness from the man's face. Steven looked to Elly and Valin.

"Is he always like this when he's angry?" he asked as the captive typed the coordinates into the PokéNav.

"Actually, this is kind of a new experience for us as well," Valin muttered. "At this point, I think he's well past angry. But trust me, he knows what he's doing."

"Let him go," Jethro said calmly. "We got all we need to know." Tyranitar opened its mouth, dropping the man to the floor. He got up and scampered away, whimpering as he disappeared around a corner. Jethro turned to Valin, straightening his back and exhaling slowly. "This time, you lead the way. You know where we're going," he said.

"Before we go head-first into a wall of grunts on the defense," Valin said, "I think it's best we split into two teams. I'll go with Elly, and you and Steven can take Frita's Pokémon."

"Fair enough," Jethro said, turning on his heel and returning his Pokémon. "We need to get moving; Frita and possibly the world don't have a lot of time to lose. He ran back down the hallway, the others close behind him.

As they came outside, they found Charlie and Frita's other Pokémon already prepared to leave.

"The connections we can have with Pokémon," Valin mused. "Always incredible." He tossed two Master Balls in the air, releasing his Latios and Zapdos. They lowered themselves down to the ground, allowing Valin and Elly to get on. Jethro mounted Rayquaza, and Steven hopped on to Charlie.

"Last one to Geosenge is a rotten Exeggcute!" Elly joked as she and Valin took off, heading east-northeast. Jethro and Steven burst forward, leaving the burning complex behind them.

* * *

They had only been flying for five minutes before the first wall of defense attacked them. A volley of attacks flew at them from the ground, and Valin and Elly dove in to engage them. A few aerial Pokémon flew towards Jethro and Steven, and they nodded to each other. They urged their Pokémon forward, heading right into the mass of flyers.

"Flamethrower!" Steven shouted.

"Thunderbolt!" Jethro roared as he released Garchomp and hopped on its back to avoid being electrocuted. Fire erupted from Charlie's mouth, singeing half of the opposing forces. Rayquaza unleashed a mass of electricity from its entire body, frying the other half. The entire defense fell back to the ground, and Jethro returned to Rayquaza, returning Garchomp. They flew right over and past the grunts on the ground, pushing on to Geosenge. Jethro opened his Nav and speed-dialed Valin.

"How are you guys doing back there?" he shouted.

"Doing great!" his cousin shouted back, the sound of his sword ringing through the earpiece. "Just keep going, we'll take care of these grunts!" With that, the call ended. Jethro put the Nav away and patted Rayquaza on the back. "Barrel through whoever else may come!" he shouted above the wind. "We're not letting Lysandre destroy anything or anyone!" Rayquaza nodded and flew a little faster. Charlie kept up with it, its face twisted in rage.

"That man is going to pay for this, one way or another," Jethro said to himself.

* * *

"You really feeling confident about this?" Eloquence asked as she deflected an attack and commanded Pikachu to unleash a Thunderbolt.

"Confident, like in cocky?" Valin asked back as he ducked to avoid a Hyper Beam and pointed his sword, directing Latios's next attack. "Absolutely not. Determined to get the job done is more accurate. Lucario! Flash Cannon!" he shouted. His Lucario leapt up and unleashed the attack in a straight line, throwing the grunts and their Pokémon all over the place. Valin's Bisharp leapt about, slicing Pokémon down left and right, and eventually running into another Bisharp. The opponent went down in mere seconds, and Valin's partner continued on.

"How much time do you think this is buying Jethro?" Elly shouted as she tossed her Squirtle in the air, allowing it to blast an Ice Beam in a circular pattern, freezing a large amount of foes in their tracks.

"Maybe enough for them to get to Frita on time, but who knows?" Valin asked as he leapt up, grabbed a Beedrill by its legs, and tossed it back into its Trainer. "Lysandre just might be farther ahead than we think!"

"He is!" one of the grunts shouted from a few yards away. "Your friends won't make it in ti—AAHHH!" he screamed as Zapdos electrocute him and flew past, pecking at the other grunts.

"Please hurry, cousin," Valin said. "Frita needs you two."


	15. Chapter 15: The Battle of Geosenge

_**This is it! The ultimate battle!**_

_**You ready for this? **_

_**FOR FRITA!**_

* * *

Jethro put away the last of the TMs in the designated pocket and hung on tightly as Rayquaza and Charlie began their descents. Steven and Jethro dismounted, releasing all of their Pokémon. Steven's Aggron growled loudly; Aerodactyl and Skarmory screeched as they hovered above him; a Claydol hovered next to him, its appendages spinning rapidly; a small rock-looking Pokémon with crystals sticking out of it balanced in front of him; his shiny Metagross and Jethro's wore the same expression of seething hatred, even more so than normal.

Burner's wrist were blazing harshly; Tyranitar snarled sharply; Garchomp scanned the area with furrowed brows; Torterra growled deeply; Rayquaza roared furiously at the same time as Charlie, shaking the ground.

Frita's Archaic howled upwards, and her Sweetpea drug its claws across each other; Rupt snorted and pawed the ground; Wildfire's back erupted in a massive, blazing flame. The strange Dragonair-looking Pokémon cried out, and Jethro looked forward.

Charlie had sensed Frita's presence, and had led them to a large rock just outside of Geosenge. A wave of grunts in ridiculous orange outfits came running out of a door that slid open. Several of them stopped cold in their tracks, obviously having second thoughts. Jethro drew his sword once again, the blade ringing as he brought it to his side.

"I'll say this once," he growled. "You either get out of the way…"

"Or we blast you to the next Region," Steven said coolly. Their Pokémon growled, and Burner smacked a fist into its open claws.

_"__But please, feel free to be idiots," _it said. Torterra created an Energy Ball and closed its mouth around it, swallowing it and absorbing its energy. The leaves of the tree on its back began to glow brightly, and the sharp rocks on its back enlarged and glowed in a grey/brown energy. It learned the technique after watching Ash Ketchum and his friend Dawn in a few of their battles.

The grunts looked amongst each other, and then back to their opponents. A few of them ran off, while the others stood and released their Pokémon. Jethro rolled his eyes.

"We don't have time for this," he groaned. "Earthquake, Torterra!" he shouted. All non-flying Pokémon leapt up or onto the larger flyersas Torterra reared up on its back legs.

Before it could unleash its attack, however, a different earthquake shook the ground. Everyone looked towards Geosenge as a great rumbling could be heard from the town's direction, and watched as a massive crystalline structure erupted from the center of town. It widened out, like some sort of monstrous flower blooming, slammed back into the ground, and then stood still.

"What the heck is that?" Jethro asked aloud. Jethro's Poketch began to beep, and he looked down. As he brought the device up, a hologram of Lysandre popped up from it.

"Greetings, people of Kalos," he said. It was an open channel and one-way, so Jethro couldn't speak with the man. "I am Lysandre. I come to you by the Holo Caster to make an important announcement. Listen well. Team Flare will revive the ultimate weapon, eliminate everyone who isn't in our group, and return the world to a beautiful, natural state."

* * *

Elly and Valin listened from their devices, surrounded by unconscious Team Flare members.

"He's insane!" Elly said.

"We need to get to Jethro and the others, _now!" _Valin growled, hopping on Latios once again. He returned Zapdos, and Elly looked at him in confusion.

"How am I supposed to get there?" she asked. Valin tapped his Mega Bracelet, and Latios was engulfed in a purple light. When it emerged, It had taken a whole new look. Instead of blue, it was a light purple, and its wings and arms had fused together. Its claws were pointed towards the back, and its wings pointed the same direction. The triangle that was on its chest was now on the front side of either arm, and its back fins were now angular and on its underside, like a surfboard.

Valin looked about and marveled it for a brief moment, and then motioned for Elly to hop on. She held on tight to Valin, and Latios burst forward with great speed.

* * *

"Unproductive fools are consuming our future," Lysandre continued. "If nothing changes, the world will become ugly and conflicts will raze the land from end to end. I repeat. We will use the ultimate weapon and wipe the slate clean. I'm sorry, those of you who are not members of Team Flare, but this is adieu to you all." With that, the transmission ended, and Jethro glared Team Flare down with fury in his eyes.

"Earthquake," he growled, and Torterra unleashed its attack. A green light came from beneath the ground as it shook apart, knocking the enemy onto their backs. A few of their Pokémon managed to leap up and dive towards them, but Charlie and Burner barbecued them with a duo of Flamethrowers. Jethro, Steven, and their Pokémon rushed forward, passing the grunts as they made their way into the base.

"Stay down," Jethro snarled as he ran past a grunt shakily getting to his feet. "Unless you want to become lunch." The grunt watched as he disappeared into the base, and then looked at the largest Pokémon. Charlie bent his head down and snarled, his teeth bared. The grunt swallowed hard and slowly sat back down, lifting his hands in the air.

_"That's what I thought," _Charlie growled.

* * *

Jethro and Steven didn't make it a level down without running into resistance. Garchomp and Sweetpea were the first into battle, slashing away with their sharp claws. Garchomp used Dragon Claw on a Liepard and a Toxicroak, and then unleashed Earth Power on a bunch of other grunts. Sweetpea made quick work of another Sneasel, flamboyantly moving and spinning about as it slashed away. Garchomp rolled its eyes and scoffed as it batted a Scrafty away with its tail after clotheslining it with its arm.

_"Showoff," _it muttered.

"Not now, Garchomp!" Jethro yelled as he swung his sword at another Toxicroak, slicing its poisoned claws off. He kicked it away as it staggered backwards in shock.

Both Metagross used Psychic to throw the rest of the grunts back, allowing everyone to charge through. A few Dark-Types saw the opportunity to charge back, right at the two shiny Iron Leg Pokémon. Steven's used Hammer Arm to knock them back, while Jethro's used Brick Break. The Dark-Types went flying, landing unconscious on their backs and sides. The Steel-Types looked at each other, lifted one leg, and pounded them together.

_"Never send a foot soldier," _Jethro's said.

_"To fight a pair of tanks," _Steven's finished. They both lifted all four legs, retracted them, and levitated away using their psychic powers.

"Hold it right there!" a grunt in front of a massive group shouted. Jethro and Steven had come into a large room, and were met with a large amount of reinforcements. "You can't defeat the entirety of Team Flare!"

"Oh, that's their name, huh?" Jethro asked Steven. "If you ask me, they have a bit too much flair. The amount I like to call," he said as he looked back to the army of grunts and grinned, "painful."

Suddenly, a shrill sound rang throughout the entire base. It seemed to be coming through the door that the army was in front of. Steven and Jethro looked at each other, eyes wide.

"Frita!" they said in unison.

As if on cue, Burner, Garchomp, and Frita's Pokémon leapt over them, landing amongst the masses, knocking, blasting, and hurling them in all directions. The front line charged the rest, and Jethro leveled his sword, bringing it close to his head.

**_"CHARGE!" _**he bellowed, running forward. Steven's Metagross allowed him and his smaller Pokémon to climb onto its head, and it levitated itself above the army. A swarm of Golbat rose up to meet them, and the flying tank unleashed a powerful Flash Cannon. Jethro's Metagross barreled through a portion of the army, spinning around and smashing several grunts away with its thick metal legs. Tyranitar roared and unleashed a Dark Pulse into the army, throwing them about. A Manectric and a Houndoom leapt at it, teeth bared. Tyranitar used Stone Edge, throwing several sharp rocks at them, knocking them out of the air. Torterra pinned down a Scrafty and a Mightyena under its thick and massive legs, squeezing the air out of them and knocking them out. It then unleashed an Energy Ball, its power charged by the one it had absorbed earlier. It exploded in the crowd, Pokémon and Team Flare grunts flying everywhere. Steven's Skarmory and Aerodactyl snatched the airborne Grunts and tossed them to one side of the room, making a large dogpile.

_"This is the way we toss the grunts, toss the grunts, toss the grunts," _Skarmory sang. _"This is the way we toss the grunts, alllll dayyyy longgg!" _It threw a Swalot across the room, and Aerodactyl hurled another Mightyena into it, knocking them into a wall. The Hoenn Champion's Pokémon flew past each other, hitting their wings together in celebration.

"We can take care of these guys!" Jethro shouted up to Steven. "Go get Frita!"

"I'll need your help in there!" Steven shouted down, leaping over a Golbat as it attempted to tackle him.

"I'll join you shortly!" Jethro shouted back as he roundhouse kicked a Mightyena away from him and over to Burner, who smacked the Dark-Type up with a ferocious Sky Uppercut. Jethro looked up and smiled at the Hoenn Champion.

"Now go save your girlfriend!" he shouted as he ran towards the door, leaping and fighting his way to it. Steven stood watching him for a few seconds before shaking his head and flying his Metagross forward.

"She's not my—we're not dating—when did you get that idea?!" he sputtered. Jethro laughed as he ducked beneath two grunts, allowing their punches to hit each other.

"You're cute, man, real cute!" he shouted up as he backflipped over a Toxicroak and a Liepard as they ran into each other head-on. "But you know, whether you've asked her out or not, you two make an excellent couple! You know she's liked you since you two met!" he yelled as he threw his sword, skewering the door control. The massive metal panels slid apart, and Jethro leapt up in front of Steven.

"Now go get 'er, Mr. Stone," he said as he grabbed his hand and flung him forward, sending him into the room behind the doors. They slid close behind him with a thud, and Jethro yanked his sword loose. "I'm right behind you," he said as he began to slice through the door.

* * *

Steven looked back at the metal door, listening as Jethro's blade made contact with it over and over. He could hear the Pokémon as well, battling their hardest to rescue Frita. He turned around to see that she was inside some sort of chamber, in some kind of suit that was connected to several plugs. He wasn't sure what it was doing, but he could definitely tell it was hurting her immensely.

"Frita!" he shouted. **_"Frita!" _**She partially opened her eyes and looked down. "Frita, what have they done to you?!" She opened her mouth, but she was so weak she couldn't say a word. Steven looked about, trying to find some way to shut the machine down. The slashing at the door stopped, and he assumed that Jethro was engaged with combat outside again. He observed the base of the chamber, searching for a weak spot in hopes of freeing her. "Just hang on, Frita," he said. "I'll get you out of there."

"No you _won't!" _a deep voice said from behind him. Before he could react, Lysandre's arm slid around his throat from behind, lifting him off the ground. Steven flailed in an attempt to free himself, but the larger man had quite a deathgrip. He could feel himself suffocating, and was losing consciousness. He reached out to Frita, trying to call her name. His world began to go dark, but he could see that someone had turned off the machine, releasing Frita and dropping her like a stone.

Lysandre looked up to the control room to see the blonde woman standing at the controls. She looked down to him, smiled and waved, and then ran out of the room.

"What?!" the large man shouted in anger. He was suddenly aware that a strange light had filled the room, and turned toward Frita. Her blazing green eyes met his, her gaze boring straight through him. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. A bright orange beam suddenly shot out from Frita's mouth. It never came close to touching him, but it still managed to singe his hair as he fell to the floor, dropping Steven. As it hit the large metal doors behind him, it made a massive hole, which continued in the far wall of the room beyond, and a good distance into the stone behind it. It slowly clicked in his brain that the beam hadn't been raw power, or a Pokémon-esque attack, or anything similar. It had been condensed heat. She was able to condense and fire sheer heat into a deadly beam that had melted both rock and solid steel.

Jethro was a short distance away from the door when the beam burst through it. He whirled around to see the beam burn through the opposite wall, his jaw dropping and his eyebrows raising in shock. He looked back to the melted steel door, where he had been only moments earlier.

"Glad I wasn't still trying to hack through that thing," he said. "I don't want to know how I taste well-cooked!"

"You're welcome?" the grunt he was holding asked. He glared him down and dropped him, walking toward the door.

"Don't push your luck, pal," he said. He peered through the door and his jaw dropped again.

Frita was kneeling next to Steven, leaning on him. She was glowing brightly, more so than he had ever seen her before. Lysandre was not too far away, getting to his feet. Jethro could see that the man was wearing a strange pair of sunglasses and something on his back, and was certain that its purpose was none too friendly. Frita slowly got to her feet.

"Enough," she said. If the battle behind him had not been interrupted, Jethro would not have been able to hear her with her voice so hoarse and raspy.

Lysandre shook his head. "No," he said, unnervingly calm. Several Combee-looking appendages burst out from the backpack he was wearing and flew towards Frita. Their pointy little claws latched onto her skin, and large circular ridges in the middle began draining power from her. She screeched out loud, too tired to shake the things off. Jethro's brow furrowed and he brandished his sword.

"That's it," he said. "No more Mr.-Nice-Wandering-Hero." He pried open the cooling door, walking fast towards Lysandre.

The glass of the control room suddenly shattered, and Frita's Arcanine and Steven's Metagross burst through it. Arcanine leapt at the appendages, crushing them in its powerful jaws and growling at Lysandre. Metagross tended to Steven, staring at the man with a death glare. He turned around to flee, but Jethro stood in the way, his sword leveled at the large man's throat.

"Where do you think you're going?" he growled menacingly, unnerving his enemy. Lysandre backed away, looking between the Hoenn warrior and the Grand Champion's large Fire-Type. He hung his head and grinned.

"I don't need to go anywhere," he said. "I can accomplish my plan from right here."

Jethro frowned. "Wha-?" he began, but the tall man was quicker. He rolled back his sleeve to reveal a control device on his forearm. He pressed a button on it, and the ceiling began to glow. Jethro glanced up and grimaced.

"That can't be good," he muttered.

* * *

Back outside in Geosenge, Rayquaza and Charlie flew over the large weapon as it began to charge up, the entire structure glowing pale orange. The color surged into the center, and a massive blast of energy erupted into the sky. The large Pokemon wasted no time, and bolted after the blast.

_"And just where do you think you're going?" _Rayquaza asked aloud. _"I don't tolerate intruders in my ozone layer!" _The blast slowed its ascent and began to fall back to Earth. Rayquaza fired a Dragon Pulse at the mass of energy, but it only weakened the blast slightly. The black dragon's brow furrowed. _"That worked so much better in my head," _it muttered.

Charlie brought his wings closer to his body, diving past the blast as it neared Kalos once again. Rayquaza straightened its entire body, increasing its descent speed.

_"What are you doing?!" _it roared after him.

Charlie glanced back and smiled. _"What I was raised to do!" _it roared back. _"I'm saving the world!" _He looked back down to the earth as it came closer, a single tear flying past his face. _"And my Frita." _He spread his wings out, halting his descent, and the blast slammed down on him hard. A massive explosion of white-orange lighting erupted, and Charlie was flung straight down into the ground. Rayquaza flew down, fanning some of the dust away with its tail. As it cleared, the dragon landed softly next to the shiny Fire-Type, sniffing it. It looked down to his tail.

The flame had been completely extinguished, and Rayquaza couldn't sense a pulse. Its brow furrowed, and it inhaled deeply, unleashing a mighty roar that shook almost the entire Region. It bolted over to the massive weapon and began to tear it apart, lashing out with its tail, ripping parts off with its powerful jaws, and blasting it apart. The weapon began to sink into the ground, but Rayquaza didn't care. It continued to tear the weapon apart in a fit of rage, crying over the loss of a friend.

* * *

Jethro and the others heard the Legendary Pokémon's roar from where they stood, and Jethro could feel Rayquaza's pain and rage.

**_"What did you do?!" _**he roared as he raised his sword and moved toward Lysandre, pressing the blade closer to his throat. He heard Frita gasp, and he glanced over to see her shaking her head. She was crying, and no one seemed to know why. Jethro leaned forward, his sword pressing closer to Lysandre's throat. "I ought to-"

Before he could finish, there was a low rumble as the chamber and the base began to cave in around them. Everyone looked about as bits of dirt and metal began to fall around the room. Jethro kept his gaze fixed on the Lysandre to make sure he didn't try anything. Frita shook her head again and let out a roar as she forced the others out of the room. Jethro tried to hold her and calm her down, but to no avail.

"Frita, wait-!" he yelled as she threw them out of the room.

"Frita!" Steven yelled.

"Go!" she said in a raspy voice, coughing. "Go." Her body began to glow brighter, and a wave of heat erupted from her. Jethro helped Steven to his feet.

"She's trying to save us, Steven," he said. "She'll be alright. We have no choice." Steven looked at him helplessly, and then back to Frita. He suddenly became serious, and climbed onto Archaic's back. His Metagross grabbed Lysandre, pinning him against its massive body with its two front legs. Jethro looked to the other Pokémon and the Team Flare grunts and pointed his sword towards the exit, motioning them forward with the other hand.

"Everybody out!" he hollered. "Go!" Everyone scrambled, Jethro's Pokemon ushering them out quickly and in an orderly fashion. Jethro, Steven, and Lysandre brought up the rear. Garchomp allowed Jethro to hang onto its dorsal fin as it flew him out.

Everyone came out to a saddening sight as saw Rayquaza circling above Charlie, who was lying motionless on the ground. The black dragon was roaring and howling in anger, so much that Jethro was certain it wasn't saying anything, only wailing in pain. There was a great smashing, grating and rumbling sound as the giant weapon sunk into the earth. It was accompanied by a loud, pitiful, painful roar. And then there was silence.


	16. Chapter 16: The Fall of a Champion

Steven ran over to the sinkhole and peered into it.

"Frita? Frita?!" he cried. He slumped his shoulders as there was nothing but silence that followed. Rayquaza descended to Jethro, and the Wandering Hero patted its nose gently, looking to Charlie. His heart sank even further as he saw that the large Fire-Type wasn't even breathing, its tail extinguished and cold.

Charlie was such an adorable Pokémon, despite his abnormal size. It was usually so gentle and sweet, and always loved to be petted. Jethro remembered the first time he met the big guy in Mara. He had stood staring at the massive thing for a long time before the big guy lowered his head and nudged him gently with his nose. That was when he discovered that the massive dragon was just a big teddy bear who absolutely loved nose rubbings.

Jethro's anger found its way back to his mind, and his eyes darted to Lysandre, who was murmuring to himself in the Metagross's grip. Elly and Valin landed just as he drew his sword and advance. Valin rushed forward and grabbed his arm.

"What are you doing?" his cousin asked him. Jethro shook him off forcefully and growled,

"He killed Frita and Charlie." He raised his sword and brought it to one side, preparing to slice the man down. "Anything to say for yourself?" he asked. Lysandre looked up at him, and Jethro remembered why he hated him. As he peered over his glasses, his pupils were thin, and he had the most unnerving grin on his face.

"Flamethrower," the man said. The said attack slammed into the back of Metagross, causing it to release its prisoner, and Jethro looked behind it. It was Lysandre's Pyroar, and it attacked Metagross in a fury, causing complete chaos. Garchomp went in to pry it off, but was kicked in the face by the lion's back paw and staggered backwards. Rayquaza ended up grabbing it, and flung it high into the air. It flew up ahead of it, looked it right in the eyes, and growled.

_"__This is for Charlie," _it snarled, and smacked the Pokémon down with its tail, slamming it into the ground. Jethro and the others looked at it for a moment in surprise, and then looked up as Lysandre shouted at Steven.

"It's your fault!" he pointed. He had managed to slip away, and had apparently broken his glasses on the ground.

"What? How is any of this _my_ fault?!" Steven shouted back, his pain surging forward as false rage. He ended up yelling at the man, which turned out being a bad idea as he was rushed and flung into the sinkhole, where several sharp spires of crystal were lying in wait to skewer him.

"Steven!" Jethro yelled, lunging forward with his arm stretched out in front of him. He was too far away to save him, and was about to charge Lysandre until he heard Steven's voice.

"Whoa!" the Hoenn Champion cried out, and Lysandre looked down. He staggered back in fear and fell. What happened next, no one could believe.

Everyone's eyes widened as a red-orange creature scaled the crystals until it leapt out of the pit with Steven hanging from its jaws. It was Lysandre's height, but with a heavier build. It was Frita! She dropped Steven on the ground, and he turned to look up at her. She had a Groudon-like build, but taller and thinner, with legs like a Charizard and long arms that widened into large paws with claws on each of the five stubby fingers. She had a thick, prehensile (capable of grasping things) tail that lashed back and forth. It had a line of ridges running down it, and ended in a little bulb shape.

Two stone fins ran down her back, the angle of them wider at the top. They glowed red from the middle, and looked hollow. Her head was like a Salamence's, but wider and flat. From the back of it rose seven horn-like protrusions, the longest one being in the middle and the shortest on the ends. From behind it burst a collar of flame, like her Typhlosion's. She snorted, the steam shooting downward as she lowered her head. Her nose was nothing more than two slits at the end of her snout. As she opened her mouth to suck in a breath, Steven could see that all her teeth were completely identical perfect triangles.

"Fri...ta?" Steven asked as he looked up at her. She looked down at him. Her eyes were shaped like upside-down trapezoids, and were black as night except for two thin rings of intensely glowing green. As he watched, the glow drained from them until it was just a vertical strip at the bottom of each one before quickly lighting up the entire eye.

"What just happened?" Elly whispered.

"I'm not entirely sure," Jethro muttered back, "but if I had to guess, I'd say she just blinked." He looked back at Lysandre, who was gazing at Frita with murder in his eyes. Jethro's brow furrowed, and he began to slowly approach the orange-haired lunatic, sheathing his sword.

Frita went to take a step toward Steven before wincing hard. Shards of the weapon were stuck in her arm and leg, and magma oozed from them. It pooled on the ground, forming a puddle before solidifying. Very carefully, she pulled all five shards loose, dropping them on the ground. She turned, and Steven saw Lysandre glaring at her. He was still mumbling to himself as Jethro came within arm's reach of him. The man turned to look at him, and his pupils were nothing but slits. Jethro brought his arm back and smiled.

"Been waiting to do this for a while now," he muttered as he decked Lysandre across the face with a brutal right hook, sending him tumbling to the ground. Jethro exhaled, looked up at Frita and Steven, and chuckled. "That felt _so _good," he said. Lysandre began to get back up, cackling like the madman he was. He pulled his sleeve back and pressed a button on the control device again. The creature that was Frita growled at him, but before she could do anything, she looked up to see Charlie, still lying motionless. She shrunk, regaining her humanoid form, still in the ridiculous body suit. Her Pokémon had gathered around him, and as she came close to him, she could feel that his nose was cold.

"No…" she whispered.

She fell to her knees, falling over his snout, and she wept. She wailed and cried and screeched. It was a terrible, agonizing, heartbreaking sound, and no one—except the yay-hoo with the Pyroar mane for hair, of course- could stand it. She wailed until she could wail anymore and cried until she had no tears left and kept trying anyway.

Who could blame her? She had raised Charlie from an egg. She had hatched him and loved him and they had been together for practically their entire lives. They were like one soul split into two bodies. Frita had lost half of herself in losing Charlie. Half her heart was gone. Her voice gave out, and the only noise she could make after that was a pitiful, quiet, whiny rasping sound.

Her quiet sobbing was suddenly drowned out by a horrible screeching sound, and Jethro and the others looked up. A dark-red-and-black Pokémon was flying right at them as Lysandre continued to cackle. It screeched as it circled above them, and Jethro noticed that its wings looked just like its tail; long and with claws at the end of it. He whipped out his Pokédex and scanned it quickly.

**"Yveltal, the Destruction Pokémon. When this legendary Pokémon's wings and tail feathers spread wide and glow red, it absorbs the life force of living creatures."**

Jethro looked up at Yveltal and put the Dex back. It unleashed a dark beam of energy, and everything that it struck seemed to die instantly.

"Take cover!" Jethro shouted. Before anyone could move, however, Frita's rage boiled. She changed back to her original form again, but this time, she had reached her apparent full size. And she was huge! She was even bigger than Charlie had been, big enough in fact to have eaten Yveltal in one bite if she were able to catch a hold of it. Jethro watched in amazement as she took the blast from Yveltal head-on and swatted at it.

"Well," he said. "That's new."

Frita's rage boiled, quite literally as molten hot lava spewed from the fins on her back, melting several of the rocks around the town. Jethro looked to Valin.

"See if there's any survivors in town and get them to safety!" he shouted. Valin nodded, and he tossed Lucario out of its Pokeball. They ran through the town, finding very few people to evacuate. They had been trapped in the cabins that had surprisingly only been overturned, and Valin got them to safety. All the other citizens had apparently evacuated.

Yveltal launched another series of attacks, mostly Dark Pulse, all of them hitting Frita head on. She roared in pain, her defenses having been weakened by the machine, and slammed into Yveltal with her tail. It screeched, and used Wing Attack on her several times before blasting her with another dark beam. Jethro checked the Pokédex again, and discovered that the move it used was called Oblivion Wing, the one that killed everything. He was amazed that Frita was managing to take so many of those and still fight!

She roared in fury and snapped at Yveltal, just managing to grab the Pokémon by the wing in her jaws. It flailed wildly in an attempt to free itself until she shook her head like a Sharpedo, and then flung it straight into the ground before stomping it. It fainted under her massive bulk, and she stumbled backward. She shrunk back down to her regular size, stumbling and swaying.

She fell backward, and Steven caught her, falling to his knees as she fell onto his lap. Jethro and the others ran to their side, hoping she was okay. Thick black smoke came out of her mouth as she coughed, and her breath was terribly wheezy. Jethro brought out his multi-tool and connected a small wire to his Poketch. A small scanner flipped up from the tool, and he pointed it at Frita. It was a heart monitor, but what Jethro was reading made his own heart sink. The smoke trailed at the corners of Frita's mouth and she coughed again. She wheezed before getting into another coughing fit that ended up with more black smoke billowing out. Sweetpea had waddled over to them, holding Frita's bag, which he managed to save from the base before they left. Someone had stuffed all her regular clothes in it, and her coat was hanging out of the top of it.

Jethro looked around, and saw all of Frita's Pokémon surrounding them. All except for Charlie, who was still motionless. Rayquaza was on the ground next to him, its head down. Steven looked down at Frita, his face twisting with sadness.

"Frita?" he asked quietly. She tried to move her arm, but didn't have the strength.

"I'm...so cold, Steven...so cold…" Her voice was so quiet he could barely hear her. He pulled her to him. He tried to stop himself from crying, but it was impossible. He was so stressed and so upset that he just couldn't stop. So he let the tears come, sucking in a shaky breath and sniffing. They ran down his face and landed on Frita's cheeks and she very slowly reached up to his face to wipe them away. Jethro felt his own tears welling in his eyes, but he shook his head, trying not to let them fall.

Frita dug in her bag, Sweetpea helping her, until she pulled out a very tiny ball of fluff. It was a plushie that Steven had bought her a long time ago, and it made him cry even more to see it. Jethro remembered Steven telling him about that when he had first talked to him face to face about Frita. It was old and terribly worn, with several unidentifiable stains on it. Some sort of orange stain, probably pizza sauce, had been spilled on one of its little blue embroidered eyes. Most of the minky material had been worn away, leaving flat fabric behind. It had several tears, which Frita had obviously tried to fix by herself, and ultimately failing. Its little fur collar seemed to have lost its fluffiness. Overall, it had been poorly taken care of, but that just showed how much love it had gotten.

Steven's face twisted up, and he sniffed and snorted again, trying not to cry more. Frita hugged the little plushie to her chest. Steven's face softened a little, and Jethro could tell that the gesture was something special between the both of them. Thinking back on it brought a sad smile to Steven's face. Jethro slowly walked over and put a hand on his shoulder, and knelt down beside the two of them. Valin and Elly knelt down, too, their own sad smiles on their faces.

"We're right here, Frita," the young woman said, putting a hand to her shoulder. "You're with friends now. We'll take good care of you." Jethro scooted over to Frita's other side, smiling though his own tears.

"Hey, don't forget, we still haven't had that rematch you promised me," he said gently. "You're not gonna throw in the towel on me, are ya?"

Frita looked around, her face showing a gentle smile. She sighed, smoke coming from her mouth, and her eyes glittered like stars. She looked back up at Steven and her eyes caught his Mega Stickpin. Her own memories flashed across her eyes. Steven's eyes had widened and he had gripped her knee a little tighter, only to find it very solid. He and Jethro looked down in horror to see her legs slowly turning to stone.

"No!" Jethro whispered to himself. He looked up at Elly and his cousin helplessly, unsure of what to do. Steven began to sob as he realized there was nothing anyone _could_ do. Frita clutched at his suit jacket and he looked her right in the eyes. She was smiling a sad smile, and though she couldn't bring herself to talk, she mouthed a set of three words. Jethro smiled weakly, and both his and Steven's hearts broke as Frita turned entirely to stone.


	17. Chapter 17: No Time to Grieve

Steven wailed, pulling Frita close to him. She was completely stone now. He sobbed, wailing and rocking back and forth with her in his arms.

"Why?! Why her?!" he yelled, his face scrunching up with grief. Frita's Pokémon wailed and cried right along with him, along with his own. Steven looked up for a moment.

Jethro stood very still, fighting to keep his own tears in his eyes. He closed them, wiping them off as they rolled down his cheeks. He let out a short sob, and then inhaled sharply and held it a moment. Rayquaza continued to lay by Charlie, sobbing quietly to itself. Burner and Metagross stood next to it, the Fire-Type's hand on the Legendary's neck in sympathy. Metagross hardly moved, its head lowering after several seconds of stillness. Torterra walked over to them slowly, its face solemn. Garchomp and Tyranitar stood by Lysandre, their faces full of anger. Both Lucario stood next to each other, their appendages on their heads hovering, obviously in meditation.

Jethro put a hand on Frita's stone shoulder and tried to smile, failing miserably as his lips quivered, a sob escaping his mouth. He hung his head and closed his eyes.

"Who's going to call me 'Jet' now?" he muttered. "And I was going to…" he looked up at Steven and quickly looked away, keeping the comment to himself. "Yeah, no, that- not the right- ah, that's not gonna help, I'm gonna-" he stuttered. He sighed and got up. "I never was too good at forever goodbyes," he muttered to himself, one thing he somewhat hated about himself. Steven looked back down at Frita and pulled her close again. Elly began to cry, too, burying her face in Valin's chest. He held her gently, patting her back.

Jethro heard a tiny chuckle and turned around to look at Lysandre, who was grinning like a Gengar.

Seeing it broke Steven. He gently set Frita down and stood, his rage obvious in his cold pale blue eyes. Jethro merely stood and watched as he walked very slowly toward Lysandre at first, then picked up speed until he was barreling at him in a dead sprint. He hit Lysandre like a train, his knee sinking solidly in the man's gut as the jumped to slug him straight in the face. Jethro winced a little, smiling slightly.

"I hope that hurt," he said to himself. Steven screeched in rage and flung himself at Lysandre as he hit the ground from the first punch. He slugged Lysandre over and over again, his solid steel finger rings leaving nasty bruises on the man's face upon impact.

Jethro turned on his heel as a shadow moved in his peripheral vision. He straightened up as he saw a Swanna land not too far from them, and the Sootopolis Gym Leader dismounted it.

"Wallace?" Jethro asked, surprised. "What are you doing-?" Before he could finish, he pulled Steven off of Lysandre. He whirled in a rage, striking out at a familiar face. He was consumed with rage and it didn't really matter to him who he was hitting anymore. Jethro decided it was finally time for Steven to regain his senses, but Wallace beat him to it. He proceeded to slap him so hard his vision went blurry for a second. As he looked up at who had hit him, his eyes widened as he slowly returned to his senses. Wallace glared at him angrily, and Jethro could see that one of Steven's punches made quite a mark. He winced, sucking air in through his teeth.

"Get a hold of yourself, Steven!" Wallace shouted. Steven turned to face him, his rage firing up again.

"How can you say that?" he shouted back. "How can you say that when it's _his_ fault that Frita is...is gone?!" he yelled in Wallace's face and motioned towards Lysandre, who was groaning on the ground. The Gym Leader glared at Steven.

"You think I don't hurt?! You think I don't wanna murder this...this monster myself?!" he shouted. "But that won't solve anything! It won't bring her back! And she would never want you to cross that line, Steven!"

Steven growled at him. "You have no idea _what_ she would have wanted!" Jethro shut his eyes and groaned softly.

"Now _that's _going a bit too far," he muttered.

Wallace slapped him again, and Jethro flinched. _"DON'T YOU TELL ME THAT! YOU **KNOW** THAT SHE WOULD NEVER WANT THAT! **YOU KNOW IT!**"_ he screamed in Steven's face. Steven was breathing heavily, and he fell to his knees as a wave of grief hit him again.

"Why?" he muttered. "Why her?"

Wallace sighed, his turquoise eyes glazed with sadness. "I don't know, Steven. I don't know," he replied. Wallace's Swanna, was snuggled up to Frita's stone body, its head hung in sadness. There was a soft stream of mumbling and laughter. Steven gazed over at Lysandre furiously, and the psychopath stared right back at him.

"Even if my ultimate plan failed," he cackled, "I've still won! Your friend is dead! The last of the Golems has been wiped from existence! You never stood a ch- hrk!" Faster than anyone could process, Jethro had walked behind the man, who was on his knees at the time, and unleashed a devastating roundhouse kick to his head, knocking him out cold as he collapsed to the ground and lay still. Jethro looked to Wallace and Steven and smirked, straightening his shirt.

"Now _that_ felt good!" he said proudly. "Been waiting to shut him up." Wallace smirked sadly at him.

"I suppose Frita would have approved of that…" he said disappointedly.

Jethro shrugged. "Perhaps, perhaps not," he said. "I'm betting she would have chuckled at me doing it at least, given what he did to her. Look, Wallace, I know it's not that moral, but I didn't want to take the time to encase him in an Ice Beam."

Wallace nodded, turning away to look at Frita, and then at Charlie. He walked slowly over to the Pokémon and placed a gentle hand on his nose.

"You know, I think I heard something break when you did that," Valin said. Jethro looked down to his boot and grinned.

"Yeah, my heel made a friend with Lysandre's jaw," he said. "Unfortunately for him, my feet play rough."

"I have a feeling things are going to get worse!" Wallace called over his shoulder. Jethro turned around, and couldn't believe what he saw. Charlie's eyes slowly slid open and he moaned. Jethro's heart leapt to his throat, and his eyebrows shot up. He wasn't dead! He wasn't sure how, but the big guy wasn't dead!

Rayquaza roared in delight and smiled at its large friend, but the moment of happiness was brief. Steven gave the Pokémon a pitiful look as he looked around, confused. He very slowly got to his feet, and then looked to Frita, still stone. His big red eyes welled up with tears and he howled, plopping back on his rear in front of her. He sat and cried and cried and cried some more. In fact, he had more tears than anyone thought a Fire Type could have. Steven sat with him, and Rayquaza put a claw on Charlie's wing in sympathy. There was a sudden rustling behind them. They turned, not particularly interested until they saw what it was that had made the sound.

Yveltal had gotten back to its feet, glaring at them in fury. The angry Pokémon let out a screech when it saw Frita's stone body and flapped its wings. It wanted revenge, and now it couldn't have it. It decided to take its rage out on the first thing it saw after that, which happened to be Steven and Charlie. It fired a Dark Pulse at them first, blasting Charlie away, the weakened Pokémon unable to fight back, and then turned on Steven.

Jethro drew his sword. "Cover them!" he bellowed. "Yveltal doesn't touch them, no matter what!" Elly and Valin drew their swords and charged. Steven dove as the Pokémon fired another attack, narrowly missing the Hoenn Champion. The blast it created flung him forward, causing him to crash into one of the many, many stones around the area. It blew Frita across the ground too, so that the two ended up landing right next to each other. Everyone else scattered.

"Protect the Champions!" Jethro shouted, and his Pokémon converged. Steven's Pokémon jumped to his defense, attacking the Legend without another thought. They all managed to avoid an Oblivion Wing and circled the Dark-Type in an attempt to confuse it. The larger Pokémon flapped its wings, flinging them all over the place. Rayquaza dove at Yveltal, and Ice Beam charging in its mouth. Yveltal fired a Dark Pulse directly at it, hitting it square in the face. It roared and flared backward, twisting and writhing. Steven's Metagross fired a Flash Cannon, but it didn't do very much, and the Pokémon couldn't use Hammer Arm from the distance it was at. Yveltal knocked it away with a swat of its huge wing, taking out Aerodactyl with it. Skarmory screeched, launching a Rock Slide attack, but Yveltal took off before it could land a hit.

It dove right at Steven, its claws outstretched. Before it could snatch him, though, a massive blast of pink-ish energy was thrown at it, and it veered upwards to avoid it. Jethro looked over to see Steven's little Carbink glaring angrily at Yveltal.

With a remarkably adorable face, now that Jethro looked closer.

_"Back off!" _the little Rock-Type yelled. This little Pokémon had spunk, and Jethro grinned.

"Never underestimate a small package," he said to himself as Carbink hopped over to stand its ground in front of Steven.

_"Bring it on, you flying strip of bacon!" _it shouted at the Legendary. Yveltal retaliated with an Oblivion Wing, but Carbink launched a Moonblast at it, causing an explosion in midair. The little stone of adorable violence immediately followed with Stone Edge, but Yveltal just managed to dodge it, flying low for a Wing Attack. Carbink ducked under it as it passed harmlessly by, and it turned around and bounced a little.

_"That all you got, Tweety?" _it taunted. _"Pretty sad for a Legendary!" _Burner rolled away from Yveltal as it barely missed it, shaking its head.

_"Never taunt the Legendary, never taunt the Legendary," _it muttered. Yveltal glared back at Carbink and dove in for another attack, putting it right where the little Pokémon wanted it. It unleashed another Stone Edge, and this time, Yveltal couldn't avoid it. The sharp stones slammed into Yveltal one by one, scoring a massive critical hit. Carbink leapt up and down in celebration, but it was all too soon. Yveltal had been downed, but wasn't out, and it hopped back up and screeched at the little Pokémon. As the Rock-and-Fairy-Type prepared another Moonblast, Yveltal merely swatted it aside, causing it to bounce like a pinball against the surrounding stones.

The Legendary advanced on Steven again, glaring at him. He was helpless to fight, the bruises from Charlie's tail hurting immensely after he had slammed against a rock right on them. His Metagross shot a Flash Cannon at the enraged Pokémon, but the attack was blocked by its wing. Yveltal turned to all the Pokémon that were approaching it, and used Whirlwind, throwing them flying back into each other.

It turned, glaring at Steven with every intent on ending him. It reared its head, ready to crush him with its massive beak. As it dove forward, Jethro leapt to his feet and ran towards Steven and Frita, preparing to use his force field once again, praying that it would work. He could see Steven reach over to Frita as Yveltal closed in on them. Just as it was within mere feet, a wall of red-and-pink flames burst up in between them, causing Yveltal to screech in confusion and leap back, squawking angrily. Jethro reflexively covered his face with his arms, leaning away from the flames. He peeked over his arm, and he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Unbelievable," he muttered.


	18. Chapter 18: The Revival of a Friend

One of the first things they saw were the words "I HEAR YOU" singed into the ground. After looking at each other in confusion, they looked back and saw another set of words added:

"AND I **WILL **PROTECT YOU!" The most amazing thing happened after that.

The same flames that had stopped Yveltal engulfed Frita, and the Legendary screeched angrily. The blazing flames bulged, and Frita burst from them in her true form, the pale orange colors on her body having changed to hot pink. She let out a powerful roar, and Jethro could hardly contain his excitement and joy that one of his best friends was alive once again. He hollered in glee, raising his sword over his head.

"Go get 'im, Frita!" he shouted, a wide smile across his face. She turned on Yveltal as it launched Oblivion Wing once again. Frita countered with her own blast of energy, and the explosion of the colliding attacks threw Yveltal back. Frita roared again, and then spoke to the Legendary through apparent telepathy.

_"YOU ARE NO MATCH FOR ME, PITIFUL BIRD. CALM YOURSELF AND LEAVE." _Yveltal merely screeched back, firing another Oblivion Wing, followed by Dark Pulse. The attacks deflected off of Frita without so much as a scratch. Jethro sheathed his sword and motioned for Valin and Elly to fall back. Valin ran over to Steven and hefted him across his shoulders, carrying him over to Jethro and gently setting him down. Wallace immediately tended to his friend, kneeling down and cradling his head. Their Pokémon gathered to them, forming a protective barrier.

Frita took a step forward and swatted Yveltal to the side. Before it could recover, a molten rock flew up from the ground beneath it, striking it in the back and knocking it upward. Frita smashed it into the ground with her tail and picked it up, squeezing it tightly. It screeched painfully until it finally passed out. Jethro and the others relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief. Frita's glow had begun to dim slowly, and after a few minutes, Yveltal regained consciousness. It looked up at her and cooed. Its own dark glow had left, and it blinked calmly. Frita put the Pokémon down, and it ruffled its feathers. It looked at Steven and tilted its head.

_"__Perhaps I should inform Xerneas of your friend," _it said. _"Then again, I don't know if it'll help. It's probably too busy being a tree at the moment."_ Jethro smirked, and suddenly everyone heard another voice in their heads.

_"__I heard that," _it said. Everyone turned to Frita, looking to her in confusion.

"No, that wasn't her," Jethro told them. "That was someone else entirely."

"Then who-?" Elly began to ask, but Frita interrupted.

"IT IS XERNEAS, THE POKÉMON OF LIFE," she told them. Yveltal looked up at Frita and cooed again, bowing. It then turned to the group of horrified grunts that were still in front of the entrance to what was left of the base. It growled and ran at them, squawking at them as it chased them back and forth, using its wings to run behind them. Jethro and the others nearly fell over laughing as the pitiful group of villains screamed helplessly as they ran back and forth around the town. Jethro took a picture with his Nav, saving the image for later. It eventually flew off, with a rather pudgy Team Flare member in its claws screaming pitifully.

"Serves you right!" a voice shouted after him, laughing. Everyone turned to see the blonde woman from the base near Lumiose and her Lucario. Jethro was the first to draw his sword, followed by Valin and then Elly doing so out of slight hesitation.

"Don't," Frita said gently. She had shrunk back down to her human form, and took a deep, tired breath. "No more pain, not today." Jethro looked at her for a moment, then relaxed and sheathed his sword. He looked at the blonde and raised an eyebrow.

"I'd say now's a good time for an explanation," he said to her.

"Of course," she said. "My name is Lainey, and I'm a Pokémon Ranger from a parallel world." Jethro raised both eyebrows.

"Yeah, we're gonna need more than that, ma'am," he said.

"Alright then. In my world, things had been just fine for a while, until a crazed maniac with hair like a Pyroar mane had fired a giant weapon that had wiped just about everything. My Cairo's Protect was the only thing strong enough to keep us from getting eviscerated. Hundreds of thousands of people and Pokémon were just...snuffed out. I was devastated.

"I spent a few weeks scrounging out a meager existence with Cairo until we come across a strange little Pokémon with horns on its head. It was pink and dark blue-gray thing, with golden rings hanging from its arms and horns. Big eyes, unnerving grin. Without so much as a peep, it just threw one of its rings at us. It grew to an enormous size, and sucked me and Cairo in like a big round vacuum. We plopped out in a somewhat familiar yet entirely foreign landscape, and we were immediately contacted by the Pokémon Rangers.

"After a brief meeting, things had been sorted out, emotions had flooded over things, and eventually we came to work to prevent the destruction of this world as an undercover agent with Cairo."

Jethro had crossed his arms and shifted his weight to one side by the time she mentioned the strange Pokémon. Lainey looked to Frita and continued.

"The Grand Champion from my world, Frida Warmheart, had been perfectly normal, but what you turned out to be was entirely inhuman," she said. "It made me wonder if things would have turned out differently for me if the two had been switched around. Even your personalities were opposites. My Frida was quiet and reserved, but you...are quite frankly rambunctious, reckless, and all around overwhelming." Jethro and Frita snorted. This gal really _was _from another world.

"Well, given all that, I suppose we can trust you," Jethro said.

"Your young friend there should be able to vouch for me," Lainey said, nodding to Elly. Jethro turned to her, and she nodded.

"She _did _find me hiding in the vents of the other base without giving me away, and she tried to delay the machine for as long as she could," she explained.

"Alright, so that's all cleared up," Jethro said. "Now, Frita, can we ask-?" He turned around to see her and Wallace getting Steven onto Charlie's back. "Oh, yeah," he muttered. "First things first."

"Look, I'll explain everything later," Frita said. "First, let's get Steven to the hospital in Anistar. We need to make sure he'll be okay." Jethro nodded, and he and his team returned the majority of their Pokémon. Jethro hopped onto Rayquaza, Valin mounted Latios, and Elly climbed onto Zapdos's back. Lainey hopped on with Frita, and they all took off together, following Charlie to Anistar City.


	19. Chapter 19: A Career in the Balance

"How is he holding up, Doctor?"

Jethro stood up as the doctor entered the room, clipboard in hand. The man pressed his glasses closer to his face and looked at it.

"We are very hopeful that Mr. Stone will make a full recovery," he said positively. "The reason for his unconscious state is most likely an overwhelming amount of pain from his earlier injuries," he looked up to Frita as he said this, "or a high amount of physical stress over what happened."

"That doesn't surprise me," Valin said from his seat. "Are you saying that his injuries aren't as bad as we thought, then?" he asked.

"Correct," the doctor said. "He should be able to recover with a substantial amount of rest and downtime. Frankly, though, I'm glad he's unconscious right now."

"And why's that?" Wallace asked suspiciously.

"I wouldn't want to be him with the paparazzi and press mob outside the hospital," the doctor said matter-of-factly, and then walked away. Jethro turned to Frita.

"I honestly forgot about them," he said. He walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Do you feel alright talking to them?" he asked. Frita sighed and looked down.

"I suppose," she said. "Though I really don't know why they have to stick their noses into all of this."

"Me neither," Jethro said, half-grinning. "I just hope nothing too bad happens due to that footage of you coming back from stone and whatnot." He looked past her shoulder. "Elly, you come with us. You were inside Lysandre's base and can provide eyewitness claims. Valin, you and Wallace stay here for now. Let us know as soon as you hear anything on Steven." With that, the three of them left.

"You know, I just remembered something," Jethro said, looking into the distance with an enlightened expression as they walked down the stairs.

"What?" Frita asked.

"Back at Sycamore's Lab, the morning we had that picnic- which, actually was just yesterday morning, come to think of it- I had a dream about you. That you were going to be in danger or something." Frita and Elly looked to each other and back at him as he opened the door to the 1st floor hallway for them. "I didn't tell you because all I could remember about it by the time I woke up was that something urgent was going to happen. I'm sorry I didn't remember sooner… maybe I could've prevented all of this."

Frita patted his shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up over it, Jet," she said. "I get the feeling you could've only prolonged the inevitable." Jethro chuckled, looking out at the crowd in front of the hospital.

"Not much help, really, but thanks. I'm just glad to have you back," he admitted.

They didn't even get their feet out of the automatic sliding doors before they were met with a mass of flashing cameras and a wall of chatter. Luckily it was daytime, so the flashes weren't as bad as they could have been. Nevertheless, they were still irritating.

"Ms. Warmhart, what happened?" one reporter asked.

"What was with the transmission from Lysandre?" asked another.

"How can you explain about the events that happened in Geosenge?" questioned a reporter with a recorder.

"Is it true that you, the Grand Champion, are not actually human?" another questioned, getting a dirty look from all three of them.

"Perhaps, if you considered to let my friend have enough time in between your ridiculous questions," Jethro said lowly, "she might actually give you an answer. So, please, if we can, _one at a time!" _he said, raising his voice slightly so that the people in back could hear clearly.

"What's your opinion that the entire Pokémon League has reprimanded you for what you did in Geosenge?" the reporter directly in front of them asked, holding her microphone forward. Jethro and Elly looked at each other in confusion.

"What do you mean, she's been reprimanded?" Elly asked. "For what purpose?"

Frita sighed. "I am fully aware of the concerns the League has, and they are well founded. However, I was honestly only so heavily scolded for not telling them...the entire truth. Concerning the events of Geosenge, no one in the League could have foreseen them, myself included."

"I'd like to state for the record that I am rather appalled at their shallowness," Jethro spoke up. "Frita may have withheld the fact that she is the last of an inhuman, not quite Pokémon creature in this world, but I feel it was for good reason. After all, how well do you think the League would respond to 'Hey, I'm the last of an ancient species in human form'? It doesn't matter what she may be. To us," he said, looking over to Frita and smiling, "she's human enough. She is our best friend, and we will stand by her no matter what." Frita dipped her head to him.

"Miss Warmhart! What exactly are you?" came the next question. Frita closed her eyes, stifling a groan, and Jethro put two fingers and a thumb to the bridge of his nose.

"I'm a very ancient species known as a Golem," she explained. "We were the ancestors of modern day Pokémon. I personally happen to be a Fire Golem. I'm unaware of any other Golems existing, but should they happen to be out there, they have a friend in me and hopefully won't be afraid to reveal themselves as being not quite human."

"Miss Warmhart, do you think the League will let you keep your job?" Jethro looked up, glaring at the reporter with a strong look of irritation.

Frita blinked. "Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised either way. The League officials certainly don't approve, frankly they never liked me anyway, but in the end it's up to the Prof. if I keep my job or not. Personally, my abilities have nothing to do with how well I do my job or how good of a Trainer I am. Likewise, they have nothing to do with how massive my Charizard is. He was hatched exceptionally small and he grew up to be exceptionally big. It's my belief that it's the size of the heart in the Pokémon, not the size of the Pokémon in the fight that makes a powerful opponent." Jethro and Elly both smiled and nodded at this, sharing the same belief.

"Frita! Can you even call yourself a Trainer, being inhuman?" All three Trainers turned to him, Jethro's gaze daring him to repeat himself.

"What a stupid question," Frita responded. "Of course I can. Being a Trainer isn't determined by your species, it's determined by your love for and bond with Pokémon."

"I'm surprised they let _you _be a reporter," Elly remarked, "asking a question like that. Seriously, if you don't hold that same value or have that same belief or policy, then I personally feel that you need to have your head pulled out of-"

"Down, Eloquence," Jethro interrupted. Elly closed her mouth and looked over at him, her face reading "Well, it's true!" He turned back to the mob. "While I may disagree with her method of communicating the idea, I completely agree with her," he said, getting a few microphones and cameras pointed at him.

"I also agree with Frita. Unfortunately, there is a substantial amount of people who do not have those beliefs and policies, and… sometimes… they create problems in the world. Admittedly, Lysandre himself was correct about one thing. There is a large amount of foolish people absent-mindedly using resources and Pokémon- keep in mind those are _never _to be confused as the same thing- inappropriately and selfishly. His method of fixing said problem was, obviously, far from the necessary choice of action. However, my partners and I are constantly travelling the world and working to defeat organizations of such people that reach a criminal level. Those people are the ones you should be concerned for your safety about, and not Frita. She is on the good side," he said, turning to her again and smiling. "And I trust her with my life." He turned back to the crowd.

"She is in no way a threat to us, unless someone is stupid enough to intentionally infuriate her. The real threat, however, is an organization known as the Sinister Division. You may have heard how they attacked Littleroot Town years ago in the Hoenn Region. They have gone into hiding since, operating underground, but they have recently resurfaced. I am convinced that an attack may possibly be imminent, but we are not certain, and are therefore undergoing investigations. They are ruthless and relentless, and far worse than any organization I've encountered thus far. They are also in no way similar to Frita by means of dangerous. Frita may be dangerous if she's mad at you, but that probably won't happen too often. The Sinister Division, however," he said, taking a slow breath in and letting it out, "are simply dangerous. Frita is here to protect us; they exist solely to destroy everything for no reason." He stood back and crossed his arms. "Anyone else have a question they should already know the answer to?" he asked.

"Yeah, I got one," a voice said from the middle of the crowd. "When's anyone gonna ask _my _opinion if Frita should keep her position or not?" Jethro shook his head, turning towards the voice's source. His eyebrows rose and a smile reached his and Frita's faces. The voice was familiar, and more than welcoming and reassuring.

"Chairman Goodshow?" they asked simultaneously. All cameras turned to see a short elderly man with a long white beard that came down to his belly, and equally long hair that fell to the center of his back. He wore a red jacket with a blue stripe running across the center of it, a pair of khaki/green shorts, and a blue baseball cap that was on backwards. The wrinkles around his eyes grew as he smiled widely, nodding to the interviewees.

He walked over to stand between Frita and Jethro, and turned to face the crowd with his hands behind his back. "There is absolutely no doubt in my mind," he said with a serious tone. Cameras began to flash as everyone silenced themselves. Jethro realized he was holding his breath, but wasn't quite sure why. The chairman looked down for a brief moment, his eyes closed. After what seemed like five minutes, he looked back up, a smile on his face.

"Frita Warmhart shall remain the Grand Champion, with my unquestionable permission," he said. Jethro let out a sigh of relief, and turned to Frita. They smiled, and gave each other a hug. Frita turned to give Elly a hug, too, and then to the crowd that had begun to question the chairman.

"Doesn't the fact that she is in fact not human concern you?" one of the reporters asked. Goodshow looked at him, a bewildered look on his face.

"If you ask any of us anything like that again, I'll have Mr. Striker here bust your camera and your microphone," he said blatantly. The reporter looked up to Jethro, who grinned and put a hand on the handle of his sword. The reporter gulped and began to back away. "But to answer your question," the chairman said quickly, "and this shouldn't be a surprise, no. I am not concerned that she is inhuman. That fact has absolutely nothing to do with her position in the League. It was solely my decision to put her there, and I intend to stick to that decision.

"It also has nothing to do with how big her Charizard is," he continued. "I have battled it myself and have tested its own DNA. It has a natural mutation of excessive growth that has been present in several Pokémon before him, such as a Gengar, a Claydol, and a Jigglypuff from long ago. And for those of you who are questioning my decisions," he said, looking directly into the camera in front of him, "feel free to talk to me about it, and I'll be happy to re-evaluate if _you _are worthy to keep _your _positions in the League." Jethro looked to Frita and Elly, his eyebrows up and his mouth open just enough to make the word "Oh!" visible.

"That is my final answer," Mr. Goodshow said. "No further questions. I advise you all skedaddle before Officer Jenny arrests you for blocking the hospital entrance," he added, motioning behind the news crowd. Everyone looked back, seeing the policewoman and a small squadron parked on the edge of the roundabout, her hands on her hips. They crews immediately scrambled, turning the cameras off and scuttling back to their respective news vehicles. Goodshow smirked and turned to face the three taller Trainers.

"Thank you, Professor," Frita said, bending down to hug her old friend. "For everything."

"Don't sweat it, kid," the old man replied, patting Frita's back. "You just keep doing what you do the best you can, and keep makin' me proud."

"I will," Frita said, a tear of joy rolling down her cheek. "I promise."

"We can't thank you enough, sir," Jethro said, smiling widely. "This means a lot to all of us."

"I'm still surprised you haven't accepted my offer of your own Champion position," Goodshow said as Frita stood back up. Jethro smirked, shaking his head.

"I haven't yet beaten all the Champions, sir," he said, looking to Frita. "And I doubt beating her will be a cinch. Besides, even if I do manage to defeat her in a battle, I still prefer to travel around for a while. There's a lot of folks out there who need to be stopped, and I want to do what I can to keep the world safe." He looked up, sighing. "Although, after I deal with the Sinister Division, I plan on taking a long vacation with Felicia."

"The bad guys don't take vacations or holidays, Mr. Striker," the chairman said, raising a finger.

"That's one of the perks about being one of the good guys," Jethro replied, winking. "We actually care about our time with the ones we love."

"That's actually a good point," Elly spoke up. "I imagine Steven's going to need a long vacation to recover from all this hubbub."

"We should go see how he's doing," Jethro said, holding out his hand. "Thanks again for covering for Frita, Mr. Goodshow," he said. "I don't know how to thank you."

"Just be sure to let me know when you're ready to take up that offer," the elder man said, shaking his hand. "And be sure to have a good time on your vacation." He shook Elly's hand and gave Frita a hug goodbye. "You all take care now, ya hear?"

"We will," the three of them said in unison, and waved as they went inside.

* * *

_**Hope you're planning to hang in there! Still more to come! ;)**_

_**Remember to check Moyasu's story, "Fire and Steel", to see the other side of things!**_

_**And don't forget to stay tuned to Adventures in Mara!**_


	20. Chapter 20: On the Road to Recovery

Jethro, Valin, and Elly sat together on the corner sofa of Steven's hospital room, watching him as he slept. Luckily, being a Champion of a Region allowed for some special privileges, including a rather impressively furnished room. Wallace was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Frita's place in the room was a tad more… conspicuous.

She was curled up on top of Steven, sleeping rather contently. She had convinced the staff to let her stay there, having glared at them with glowing eyes. Jethro had eventually managed to be a liaison between her and them, pointing out that they had been through quite a bit of turmoil lately, and that Frita being able to sleep on Steven would comfort them both.

After a few hours of a mix of awkward silence and attempts at mediocre entertainment- such as I Spy and 20 Questions- Jethro had leaned forward, put his elbows on his knees, and clasped his hands together, extending his forefingers and thumbs to hold his forehead and chin, respectively. Elly had tried poking him a few times to see if he was asleep, but it turned out he was merely in some sort of meditative state. He wouldn't have admitted it, but he actually _had_ dozed off for a few minutes two or three times.

Shortly after the sun had set, Steven groaned and began to stir. Everyone perked up immediately, looking at Steven with hopeful eyes. He blinked a few times, dazed. His eyes suddenly widened and he looked around the room frantically. Wallace began to move, but Jethro held up a hand to stop him.

"Let him get his bearings first," he said quietly. Steven sucked in a breath and winced, the earlier injuries apparently still smarting. A few moments passed by, and he looked down to see Frita still laying on him. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes, opening them again in a blinking manner. He tried sitting up, but Frita was much too heavy for him to move. Jethro lowered his hand, nodding to Wallace, who moved forward so that Steven could see him.

"My, my," he said. "You're awake faster than we thought you would be. How you feeling, honey?" Jethro's face twisted in confusion and he looked at his friends in response to Wallace's remark. They looked back at him with equally puzzled and surprised expressions, shrugging.

Steven groaned and let his head fall back to his pillow. "Okay, that settles it," he said. "I'm obviously not in heaven if your sorry butt is here. I can't be down below if Frita is here though, so I guess that means I'm not dead, at least." Jethro exhaled through his nose in a quiet chuckle.

"Hey!" Wallace protested, but Steven waved him off before he could continue.

"Wallace, what happened?" he asked.

"It was unbelievable," Jethro said, and proceeded to tell Steven everything that had happened after he had passed out.

* * *

"And that's what happened," he finished. "We asked Frita, but she said she had no idea how she had come back to life." Steven looked down to her, puzzled and surprised. "Actually, she told us that she had been somewhere dark... really, _really _dark. She said she had heard your voice, and then a light had appeared and she had followed it. Even _she _really had no idea what was going on," Jethro said. He sat back and smiled. "So yeah, you actually didn't miss too much." Wallace and the others looked at him with raised eyebrows.

Steven blinked. "Strange," he said, "but I wouldn't say that. It looks like I missed a lot!"

"Indeed!" a voice said from the doorway. Everyone turned to see Sycamore leaning against the door frame. "How do you feel?" he asked. Jethro groaned softly and rolled his eyes. _Seriously? __**That's **__the first question you feel like asking? _he thought to himself.

"Like I got hit by a bus," Steven replied, "and then a train...and then another bus." Jethro couldn't help but chuckle out loud, shaking his head. Wallace grinned mischievously.

"Well _I'll _be here to take care of you," he said, leaning toward Steven. Before Jethro could get up to stop him, Frita's hand flew up to meet Wallace right in the face, startling him. He was pushed back as she got up, stretched, and plopped her head back down on Steven's chest, causing him to wince.

"Ow," he grumbled. Frita looked up at him and smiled. "How did you even manage to get them to let you on the bed?" he asked.

"I'm a three ton giant fire monster," Frita said, smiling. "I have my ways." Jethro failed to stifle a laugh, doubling over in his seat. Steven rolled his eyes, and Frita snuggled up to him, letting out a strange, almost purring noise. Steven's face flushed immediately, and Frita giggled and curled up, quite content as she latched onto his arm and used it as a pillow.

"Dear _Arceus,_ woman!" Steven groaned as he struggled. "You weigh a ton and it _hurts! _Stop it!" Frita's eyes flew open and she looked at him in irritation.

"Steven, sweetie," she said, somewhat threateningly. "You know I care about you, but be aware that I can crush you at any time."

Jethro pulled his lips inward and nodded. "And that's what you get for insulting a woman's weight," he muttered. "Learned that the hard way at one point…"

Steven sighed and smiled, finally accepting the fact that Frita wasn't getting off him any time soon. The smile suddenly vanished and he looked around at everyone. "What happened to Marin? And Alain, and Lysandre?" he asked.

"Don't worry, Alain and Marin are safe," Valin said. "Lysandre, however, will be spending the rest of his life in prison." He sat back and sighed. "Fully deserved, too."

"Some of the Team Flare scientists decided to reform themselves," Sycamore said. "With their help, I managed to cure Marin's Chespin. Alain eventually came back, too, claiming that despite the fact he was no longer needed to collect Mega Evolution data, he still wishes to achieve his goal of being the strongest."

"So I accepted his challenge," Frita said. "Of course, I'm going to be using a different Pokémon this time."

"Please do," Steven and Jethro said at the same time. Frita raised her hands past her head.

"Hey, I'm only challenging him after Steven's able to leave the hospital," she protested. Steven sat back, his head plopping into his pillow. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, relaxing.

Jethro stood up and stretched. "I think we should go over to the Pokémon Center, guys," He said to Elly and Valin. "Let's give Steven some time to rest and recover. We'll be checking in on you frequently, alright, man?" he asked Steven lowly. The Hoenn Champion barely lifted his arm and gave a thumbs-up. "See you later," he said, and waved to Wallace on their way out, leaving him and Frita to watch Steven.

"Hey, Jethro?" Valin asked as they exited the hospital.

"Yeah?" Jethro replied.

"Isn't there, uhh… someone you should maybe call so they know you're-?"

_"Oh, jeez!" _Jethro yelped, his hand flying to his PokéNav. "Thanks for reminding me!" He pushed a button on speed dial and put the receiver to his ear. Unsurprisingly, the other end of the line was connected on the second ring. "Hey, Mom!" Jethro said.

"Honey, are you alright?!" his mother asked frantically. "We just got news of what happened over there! Is Frita-"

"Frita's alive, Mom," Jethro interrupted. "It's a long story, I can explain it to you when I get to the Pokémon Center. Don't worry, I'm okay, Elly and Valin are okay, Steven's the only one that's hurt, but that was because of Charlie hitting him with his tail before we even knew they were here in Kalos. He just fainted in Geosenge, that's all. We're okay, otherwise," he explained.

"Okay," his mother said, still somewhat concerned. "Thanks for calling, bud. Want me to call Felicia for you?" she asked.

"Yeah, like _that _would go over well," Jethro said.

"Well, I get the feeling you're in for something regardless."

"Fair point. Don't worry, I'm gonna call her."

"Alright. Thanks again for calling, good to know you're okay. Love you!"

"Love you too, Mom," Jethro said, pressing the END button and pressing another speed dial button. After three rings, a voice came on through the other line.

"Do you have _any _idea how worried I've been?!" the voice shouted. Jethro looked down, ashamed of his lack of communication. "I've only been able to keep track of you through the news, and to see that you were involved with a massive weapon that could've blown you up and your friend being a monster? How am I supposed to react to that?!"

Jethro took a deep breath and let it out. "I would be somewhat concerned if your reaction was indifferently calm," he said. "And for the record, she's the last of an ancient race called Golems, not some random monster."

"I've been terrified over here!" his girlfriend shouted. "I was afraid you might have been killed!"

"I know, Felicia, and I'm so sorry, hon," Jethro said. "It's been really hectic over here, Steven's in the hospital, Frita just about got kicked out of the League… it should be on the news sometime soon."

"The interview's just coming on now, actually," Felicia said, somewhat calmer.

"Okay," Jethro said, waiting a moment for the television to tell the story.

"So you saved the world again?" his girlfriend finally asked.

"Yes," Jethro said. "With plenty of help, of course."

"Naturally," Felicia teased.

"So am I still in trouble?" Jethro asked.

"No, you're not," Felicia sighed. "You texted me a few days ago and are calling me right now, so I can't be mad at you for not contacting me. I'm still a bit mad at you for not coming home for awhile, though."

"I can accept that," Jethro said, a small smile on his face. He and the other two stopped at a crosswalk, looking both ways for oncoming traffic.

"You better, mister," Felicia said, "or else I'm coming over there to kick your butt." Jethro smiled widely. He loved it when she threatened him playfully like that.

"I really wish I could come home right this minute," he said, his smile fading, "but I want to make sure Steven recovers, and I have to take care of the Sinister Division." Felicia was quiet for a moment.

"I understand," she said. "Gotta save the world."

"Yeah," Jethro said quietly. "Gotta make sure it's safe for you," he added as they jogged across the street as soon as it was clear.

"I can take care of myself, Jethro!" Felicia argued.

"I know, hon," Jethro said. "Nevertheless, eventually I'd like to retire from being the Wandering Hero and be your Hometown Hero."

Felicia giggled on the other end of the call, making Jethro smile again. "You already are," she said sweetly. "I just can't wait for you to come home."

"I can't wait to come home to you, sweetheart," Jethro said. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too," Felicia said. "Will you be able to call me tomorrow?"

"Absolutely," Jethro said. "Can I call you around 1:00?"

"My time or your time?" Felicia asked.

"Your time," Jethro replied.

"Then a phone date it is, then," Felicia said.

"Just wait until I take you on a _real _date again," Jethro said slyly.

"Ooh, do you have some sort of plan?" Felicia asked.

"You'll see," Jethro teased. "I have to go now, Felicia. We're checking in to the Pokémon Center. I'll text you goodnight."

"Alright then," Felicia said, sighing. "Have fun over there while you can."

"I will, but not too much," Jethro said, smiling. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Felicia said. They both kissed at each other and hung up.

"I don't know whether to describe you two as adorable or gross," Elly joked.

"Oh, shut up," Jethro said, walking up to Nurse Joy with a smile. "Three rooms, please," he said.

"Certainly, Mr. Striker! How long will you be staying?" she asked.

"For a while, probably," Jethro replied. "We're waiting for Steven Stone to recover from the hospital." Nurse Joy checked her computer.

"Unfortunately, we're quite full with all the people from Geosenge whose houses were overturned," she said, procuring a key card from underneath the desk. "However, there is a VIP room that should have enough room for all three of you."

"Thank you!" Jethro said, a little surprised at first. "We appreciate it."

"Our pleasure," Nurse Joy said. "After all, you three _did _help save Kalos from destruction and defeated that Team Flare. It's the least we can do."

"It's more than enough for now," Jethro said, smiling as he and the other two walked over to the stairs. "Thanks again."

* * *

Jethro woke up in the middle of the night, screaming and bolting upright. Elly and Valin both moved to draw their swords, looking around the room before finally rushing to Jethro's side, putting a hand on each of his shoulders.

"Jethro, relax, it's okay!" Elly said loudly over his frantic hyperventilating. "It was just a nightmare!"

"No!" Jethro gasped, gulping for air before explaining himself. "No, that felt… that felt _way _too real to just be a bad dream! That felt worse than my dream about Frita being in danger!"

"What do you mean?" Valin asked. "What did you see?"

"My Pokémon… they had all turned against me…!" Jethro breathed. "They were attacking me, and… and Felicia was captured…! She was being chased by Rayquaza!"

"Easy, cousin, easy," Valin said gently, gripping Jethro's shoulder firmly. "I'm sure it won't come true. And even if there's the slightest chance of it actually happening, we'll be right beside you to keep it from doing so."

"Yeah, no one's messing with our friend's Pokémon," Elly said. "Or our own."

"Yeah… yeah, I'm sure it was just… just a really bad dream. Thanks, guys," Jethro said, his breath slowing down. "If it's all the same to you, I think I'll take a walk, maybe get some fresh air." He pulled the covers off and slung his feet over the side of his bed. He slowly walked over to his boots and put them on. He then took out a jacket from his backpack, put it on, and then put his sword across his back. He slung his backpack on top of it, and then quietly walked out.

"Should we follow him?" Elly whispered.

"No," Valin said, walking back over to his bed. "He needs some time to recover. A dream like that can rattle even the toughest of people. He'll be fine, Elly, trust me." He crawled under the covers and lay on his side. "Just give him some time."

"If you say so," Elly said tiredly, walking over to her bed and flopping on top of it.

* * *

Jethro walked quietly outside, stopping just outside the automatic doors. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, and then began to walk down the sidewalk, his hands in the jacket pockets.

_"Jethro?" _a deep voice said, causing him to jump three inches and squawk. He whipped around to see the nearly-invisible black form of Rayquaza peering at him from the other side of the Center, its head tilted. Jethro put a hand to his chest and exhaled loudly.

"Jeez, big guy, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" he breathed.

_"I apologize for startling you," _Rayquaza said, silently levitating over to its Trainer. _"I felt your distress and wanted to make sure you were alright."_

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Jethro said, calming down. "I just wanted to take a walk and relax a little. Since you're out here, you can join me."

_"I'd be honored to keep you company," _Rayquaza said, and they both made their way down the sidewalk.


	21. Chapter 21: Late-Night Walk

_"__What did you see in your dream?" _Rayquaza asked.

"Some pretty scary stuff," Jethro said. "We had found the Sinister Division's base… somewhere in a mountain, no less. We hit them head on, but… they seemed to know we were coming. They caught you guys in Dark Balls and turned you against me… I didn't see Elly or Valin, but Felicia…" he trailed off and looked down.

_"__They used me to hunt her, didn't they?" _Rayquaza asked. Jethro stopped, and Rayquaza lowered its head to him.

"Yes, that's what I saw in my dream," he said. He was silent a moment before continuing. "Rayquaza, I want you to promise me something, if I may, please."

_"__What is it, Jethro?" _the black dragon asked.

"I want you to promise me, that no matter what happens, if you or any of the others are caught in a Dark Ball…" he looked to one side and shrugged, "well, I'd like you to promise me that won't happen, either, but what I really want you to promise me is… if anything should happen… promise me that you'll do what you can to keep her safe," he said. He took a deep breath and let it out. "And if I don't make it after this battle… look after her. You know how she can be."

_"__You know cousins," _Rayquaza said, grinning. _"Closest you can ever get to being actual siblings." _Jethro guffawed.

"Yeah, just like Flannery," he said. He looked Rayquaza in the eye and put a hand on its nose. "Can you promise me that?" he asked. Rayquaza pushed forward a little so that they were touching foreheads.

_"__I promise," _it said lowly.

_"__We all do, boss," _a voice said from behind. Jethro turned around to see that all his other Pokémon had silently released themselves and were standing behind him. Burner stood in front, arms crossed and grinning. They all walked forward and huddled together in a group hug. Jethro closed his eyes and sighed, relaxing into the hug.

A small light began to shine, and Jethro looked down. His Mega Badge was glowing, and five streams of light suddenly burst out from it. Each light touched the Mega Stones of his Pokémon, and one touched Rayquaza's forehead in the middle of the circle pattern on its head. A bright light began to surround them and pulse, causing Jethro to cover his eyes. When the light dimmed and he lowered his hand, he couldn't believe his eyes.

His Pokémon had Mega Evolved! He pivoted in place several times, trying to take all the changes in.

"I thought only one of you guys could Mega Evolve at a time!" he said, exhilarated. "This is… this is incredible!" Garchomp looked itself over again, beaming widely.

_"__This ain't getting old anytime soon!" _it said excitedly, almost jumping up and down in glee.

Mega Tyranitar had more gaps in its armor than its normal shiny form, with four new triangular holes along the sides of its neck and one on its throat. The four on its chest were larger with the top two containing purple ovals. While the spikes along the back of its neck had grown shorter, it the ones on its head elongated to form prominent ridges along its brows. The center spike on its head was now a long, upright horn. Its chest plate expanded, curving over its shoulders and along its back to form three long, irregular spikes on each side of its body. It gained two sharp spikes on its knees, as well as more prominent leg joints. Its tail had lengthened, with the three spikes surrounding its tip growing upward and outward.

Metagross's Mega form was quite a sight. It was floating in midair, and its legs had become four massive, forward-facing arms. The claws on each arm were right next to each other, forming massive hooks. The cross on its face had turned from gold to blue, and it gained two small holes and a spike immediately below the cross on its chin, giving the impression of a goatee. Two golden triangular pieces of metal protruded from the sides of its head, and four small legs, two on top and two on bottom, stuck out of its back.

Burner's Mega evolution was most impressive. Its yellow markings had changed to black markings on its upper legs and chest. Its hair-like feathers took on a wing-like shape and pointed upward, and the portion around its chest was rough around its shoulders. The crest on its head had changed from two horns changed into a flat horn that angled backward. The flames on its wrists had become long streams.

The most stunning, elegant change of all, however, was Rayquaza's. Its body had lengthened, and its features had all changed. Its head was slightly longer with a strange Δ symbol appearing on its forehead. Its eyes had changed and now had yellow pupils and red irises, and black, tree-like markings trailed behind its eyes. Its red lips and teeth connected to lines on the inside of its lower horns, which took on a broad, triangular shape. At the outer edges of its lower horns were long, golden, glowing tendrils that each extended to black, fin-like structures. The tendrils had ring patterns that strongly resembled the yellow markings running along the length of Rayquaza's normal form. Its two upper horns became longer with a red line running over them in a V shape, and each upper horn had another glowing tendril that ended in a circular shape with a spike. Along the length of its body were red, glowing orbs placed where its ring patterns used to be. The chin, part of the neck, and the underside parts of its serpentine body had gained a flat shade of black. The fins running along its body were also marked with red lines, and had gained angled points on the backside; the fins on its tail became entirely yellow and substantially longer, like some sort of ribbons. The two fins on its back behind its head had grown and became curved, the fronts of them connecting to its body and the backs of them were raised off of it. Particles streamed from the long tendrils that extend from its jutting jaw. The upper part of its black hide sparkled in the moonlight with a metallic quality.

Jethro stood staring at it for a few minutes, his jaw hanging open in speechlessness. Burner waved a hand in front of his face but he merely raised his hand halfheartedly.

"No, no," he said absentmindedly. "Just let me admire it and take it in a minute."

_"__Yeah, you folks enjoy it," _Torterra said. _"I'll just stand here… same as always." _Jethro looked over to his unchanged Grass- and Ground-Type companion and knelt down to it, putting a hand on its head.

"Don't worry, big guy," he said. "You'll get a Mega Evolution eventually, I'm certain of it. Besides, we don't want to scare the opponents _too _badly." He grinned. "You and Metagross are tanks enough as is, and two Mega tanks would seem a bit unfair." Torterra looked to one side and nodded. "That, and you already have a power-up when you swallow an Energy Ball."

_"__I suppose patience has its rewards," _Torterra admitted. Jethro smiled and tapped his forehead to the massive Grass-Type. He stood up and exhaled slowly.

"I'm glad you all made that promise," he said. "Made me feel a lot better. I think we can all get some sleep now." In a flash of light, the other Pokémon reverted back onto their normal forms, looking at their Mega Stones. Tyranitar lifted the necklace that its Tyranitarite was set in, and Metagross looked to the harness that was on the upper part of its right front leg.

_"__The Sinister Division's sure got quite a fight coming to them," _Tyranitar said. _"I can't wait to take them down." _

"Patience, big guy," Jethro said. "For now, let's get back to the Center and get some sleep." With that, they all walked back to the Pokémon Center, where Rayquaza returned to its resting spot outside. The others walked in with Jethro all the way to the room, falling asleep around the free space that was left.


	22. Chapter 22: Reconnecting to Home

The next day, the group went back to the hospital fairly early. Steven's father showed up at about noon up to inform them about a business opportunity. He was thinking about expanding Devon Corp. to Kalos, with all of Lysandre's tech taken off the market. Frita excused herself to get some food, and Mr. Stone watched as she left and smiled.

"The two of you make quite the couple, you know, son?" he said. "I just might have to make preparations for a wedding relatively soon!" Jethro chuckled at that, and left to give the two their privacy. A few minutes later, as Mr. Stone left the room, he pulled Jethro aside.

"I found out what that device was that you sent to me, Jethro," Mr. Stone said quietly. "It took a little prying, but we finally cracked it."

"Did anything happen?" Jethro asked.

"Well, it was about to explode when we first got it open, but using my technological genius," the older man smiled as he puffed out his chest, "I managed to keep it from detonating. From what I could figure out, it was some sort of communication device specifically for the Sinister Division."

"Some sort? What do you mean?" Jethro asked.

"Well, when we patched into the software, we found several messages, such as next missions and tasks, and several pieces of data that was both gathered and sent to and from the device itself," Mr. Stone explained.

"What kind of data?" Jethro inquired, crossing his arms. The corporation president hesitated.

"Data gathered on you and your allies," Mr. Stone said quietly. Jethro froze, and a cross between a worried and stern expression came to his face.

"My allies?" he asked lowly. "As in Elly and Valin?"

"It's more extensive than that, I'm afraid," Mr. Stone said. "They've gathered data on them, Frita, Steven, and even your family and the Mossdeep Squad. The last piece of data we managed to procure before the device crashed its own software was that you, in fact, have the ability to Mega Evolve your Pokémon."

"Alright, so they know what's coming," Jethro said. "However, I'm fairly certain they don't know the full extent of our abilities." He grinned and put a hand on the older man's shoulder. "Trust me, they won't know what hit them," he assured.

"If you say so, Jethro," Mr. Stone said. "I wish you the best of luck when you finally do confront these goons. Just promise me something, please?"

"What is it?" Jethro asked.

"Try not to break that PokéNav this go-around," Steven's father said, trying to hold a grin. Jethro guffawed, shaking his head.

"I'll do my best, Q," he joked back. "I'm assuming you want me to make sure neither Frita nor Steven gets harmed in whatever may happen, right?"

"That would be correct," Mr. Stone said more seriously. "We may not be family just yet, but I like Frita. She's got spunk! She'll push Steven out of his comfort zone though, which could be good or bad depending, and he's my only heir. More importantly he's my son, and his well-being is my top priority. So keep a careful eye on that girl, she's a little reckless sometimes." He winked, his face brightening again.

Jethro laughed lightly and shook Mr. Stone's hand. "You can count on that, sir," he said. With that, the Devon Corp. president bade farewell to the group and left. Jethro looked at his Poketch and checked the time. It was a little past noon, and Jethro figured it was about time to call Felicia. He walked over to a window, took out his PokéNav, and speed dialed her number. He put the receiver to his ear and listened as the phone began to ring. It wasn't too long before the lines were connected.

"You're late," Felicia said playfully.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Jethro said in a different voice as he smiled. "Please forgive me for missing the deadline, I swear it won't happen again."

"That's right, it won't, mister!" the young woman laughed. "You actually called at a good time, I just got back from the hot springs."

"Aw, I missed the hot springs again!" Jethro mock-whined.

"Well, maybe if you get your butt home, you could come with me next time," Felicia said in a voice that almost made Jethro melt.

"Easy there, hon, we wouldn't want the hot springs getting _too _hot," he said. "Of course, it always gets warmer to me whenever you're around."

"Aww, did you call just to sweet-talk me?" Felicia giggled.

Jethro shrugged. "It's possible," he said. "More importantly, I called to hear your gorgeous voice again," he said sweetly.

"Aww, Jethro!" Felicia said in a way that told Jethro she was smiling widely. "You're too sweet sometimes."

"So you're saying my sweet tooth gives you cavities?" Jethro joked, making Felicia laugh a little.

"You goof," she said. She let out a long breath. "What are you guys going to be up to today?"

"Well, the doctor said Steven should be well enough to be released tomorrow, so until then, we're just going to wait and maybe walk around town," Jethro said.

"Oh, that's good," Felicia said. "I'm glad he's feeling better."

"Me too," Jethro said. "Although, to be honest, I think they just want to release him so they won't have to deal with Frita's rambunctiousness anymore." Felicia burst out laughing.

"She's really that troublesome?" she asked.

"Oh, she's not rambunctious in a bad way," Jethro said. "She just gets a little playful in a way that makes the staff uneasy. Sometimes she's a little more affectionate to Steven than the protocols and rules of the hospital allow, but that's just because she's protective and a tad bit clingy."

"Aww, how sweet!" Felicia said.

"It is," Jethro agreed. "Oh, hey, how are your Pokémon doing?"

"Oh, they're doing great!" Felicia said. "Typhlosion's right here, playing with Eevee." Jethro chuckled.

"And by 'playing', you mean Eevee's nibbling on the big guy's ear?" he asked.

"Well, they were doing that a little while ago, but now they're playing tug-of-war," Felicia said. "Guess who's winning?"

"Let me guess," Jethro said slowly, pretending to think hard. "Ohh, let's see—I don't know… Eevee?" he asked. Felicia chuckled.

"It's actually a bit of a tie right now, only because Typhlosion is being stubborn about it," she said.

"Well, you know what they say, Pokémon take after their Trainers," Jethro teased.

"Hey!" Felicia protested, and Jethro laughed.

"You know I say that because I like that about you," Jethro said softly.

"Yeah, I know," Felicia said. Jethro let out a sigh and smiled, closing his eyes. "You okay, honey?" his girlfriend asked.

"I'm fine," Jethro said lowly. "I just miss you, sweetheart. A lot."

"I miss you, too, Jethro," Felicia said. "Please get done with that Sinister Division business as soon as you can so you can come back. Hoenn misses you, too."

"I know," Jethro said. "I'll kick their butts and hurry home."

"Just make sure you do it in one piece, okay?" Felicia asked quietly. Jethro could tell by her voice she was almost crying.

"Hey, hey, don't worry," he said softly. "I'll come back, I'll be okay. Elly and Val have my back."

"I know, but," Felicia began. She paused for a moment and let out a shaky breath. "I just want you to be careful, okay? I don't want to lose you. I know the world would lose a magnificent hero and everything, and they'd remember you, but…" Jethro heard her try to hold back her tears, and he closed his eyes and hung his head, his heart aching. "I'm not sure if I could handle losing you."

"You'll never have to find out if you could or not," Jethro said gently. "You're not gonna lose me, Felicia. I'll come home to you, we're going to go on a few dates, and I'm going to hold you close at night until we fall asleep."

Felicia sniffled on the other end of the line. "You promise?" she asked. Jethro smiled a little.

"I promise you, babe," he said. "I promise I'll be careful, and I promise I'll come home, safe and sound." Felicia took a few deep breaths.

"Okay," she said quietly.

"You'll be alright," Jethro said. "You know my mom and dad will always welcome you if you ever want to talk to them when you get worried. They do it too, all the time. Heck, they've been doing it longer than we've known each other." Felicia laughed a little, and Jethro smiled wider. "They'll let you stay as long as you want, and you can sleep in my bed if you want. And you know you can always have my Golurk come down and visit you. It's always got your back."

"I know," Felicia said. "Thanks, honey."

"You're very welcome, my dear," Jethro said. He glanced at a clock on the wall across from him. "I should probably let you go now and let you get back to helping Flannery."

"Yeah, I should get back to the Gym, we've had a few more challengers come by lately," she said. "Of course, a few of them were so busy ogling us that they couldn't focus on the battle."

Jethro chuckled. "Anybody ask either of you out on a date?" he asked.

"Yeah, one smooth-talker thought he could woo us both into dating him," Felicia said. "We played along with him at first and then crushed him in battle." Jethro laughed.

"That's my girl," he said proudly. "I'll let you get back to kicking butt now, so good luck!"

"Thanks," Felicia said. "I love you, Jethro."

"I love you, too, Felicia," Jethro replied. They both blew a kiss over the receiver and hung up. Jethro put his PokéNav back in its pocket and turned around. He nearly jumped through the roof, putting a hand to his chest. "Good grief, do you _really _need to do that?" he yelped.

Elly smiled widely, laughing at her successful scare. She had been standing right behind Jethro for a while, patiently waiting for him to turn around. Valin was standing in the door of Steven's room, smiling and shaking his head. Jethro rolled his eyes and laughed. Elly abruptly turned solemn.

"You didn't tell her about your dream, Jethro," she said. Jethro stopped laughing and looked her right in the eyes.

"I wasn't about to send her into a lapse of worry and grief and paranoia," he said. "She's worried enough as is, I didn't need to put that weight on her shoulders. Besides, it was a dream. If it was a premonition, I know how to keep it from happening."

"And what if that attitude right there is what's going to cause it to come true?" Elly asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Then we'll do what we do best," Jethro replied, walking past her. "We'll face the danger with everything we've got, whether it goes our way or not."


	23. Chapter 23: Down Time

**_I apologize for the lengthy hiatus from this story! My time has recently been otherwise occupied, and it has gotten quite difficult to find the time or motivation… or ideas, to be frank… to come up with story material!_**

* * *

The next day, Steven was finally released from the hospital. Seeing as how he wasn't quite well enough to return to Hoenn, Frita insisted on everyone staying at her house there in Anistar. They all walked there together, seeing as how the distance wasn't too great. They reached the house by midday. Frita turned and stretched her arms out, smiling widely.

"Villa del Frita," Jethro mused. "Very impressive!"

"Well I _am_ the Grand Champion, and I rather enjoy entertaining house guests too!" The red-haired woman pointed out. She opened the door and motioned everyone inside.

Her house was quite unconventional, with one large central room that housed a large table with several chairs and a kitchen. The oddest part was that the back of it was completely open to what looked like a beachfront garden. The front was pretty average, with a gated wall, but with the back of the house open to the beach things seemed to completely undermine it. There was an odd set of stairs in one corner of the room that disappeared into the ceiling, and the garden had a large Ekans-like pool with several flowering plants around it. The house as a whole was made of a dark wood, with simple but elegant carvings in it, mostly of flowers. There was a pair of stone Pyroar at the entrance to the garden.

"This place is incredible!" Jethro mused. "Very intricate aesthetics!"

"Making you want to get a few places of your own sometime soon?" Eloquence teased, lightly elbowing her taller friend in the arm. He snorted and shook his head.

"Yeah, yeah," he retorted. His smile faltered slightly, his face acquiring a thoughtful expression. "Well, now that you mention it, maybe," he said somewhat distantly. "Not too soon, but maybe some time." Jethro looked outside to the pool. "Oh, you even have a pool, _nice!" _he exclaimed.

Before he could say more, an entire herd of Slowpoke swarmed him, tails wagging in hope of being petted. Frita picked up the largest one, who had stopped at her feet, and snuggled him. "Yes, hello, Pokey!"

"Quite the army of Slowpoke you have, too!" the Wandering Hero exclaimed as one by one, the Slowpoke began to dogpile him, dragging him down to the floor. "Alright, alright, you'll all get your pettings!" he shouted. "Just lemme _breathe _first!" The others laughed heartily, although Steven's laughter was rather restrained given his injuries.

That afternoon, Jethro and Valin helped Frita prepare a large serving of noodle soup, with grilled chicken in it and fresh veggies. Frita thought it would be better for Steven, seeing as how it wasn't quite solid.

"Alright, soup's almost ready!" Jethro called, putting the dishes and silverware on the table.

"From what I can smell, I can tell it's going to be spectacular!" Elly called from outside. Jethro chuckled, smiling widely.

"Hey, Frita?" he asked as he finished putting down the plates and silverware. "What drinks do you have around here?"

"Plenty," came the reply from the kitchen. "There's tea and berry juice in the fridge, among slightly...**harder** drinks."

"I'll just set them out on the table," Jethro said as he went to the fridge. "I'm not sure who else wants what, but I think I'll settle for just tea." He got the drinks and put them on the center of the table, and then set the hot pads out for the soup and veggies. "Everyone else can go ahead, I'm going to start making some Pokémon food," he said. He went around the cupboards, finding the necessary ingredients and setting them together on the counter. He made quick work of whipping the food up, and set it outside, two plates at a time.

"Time to eat!" He shouted to the Pokémon playing in the sand and lounging about. Blaziken was over in a single leap, while Metagross and Torterra took their time lumbering over. The others came in their own manners, thanking Jethro as he went back in and sat down next to Valin.

Steven's silver Metagross came lumbering up to Frita and nudged her leg. It looked to be fairly dull, covered in scratches and slight dents. Frita rubbed its faceplate and gave it a kiss on the head. She whisked the food onto the table, rapidly dishing up helpings for herself and Steven before digging in her bag. She produced a small resealable bag of what appeared to be gray and magenta cookies.

Jethro frowned, giving Frita a strange look, along with his companions. Frita pulled a cookie out and Steven's Metagross stomped all four feet one at a time rapidly in a circular rotation. "Met-TA!" Frita threw it a cookie, which it happily munched down. It lit up in a brilliant flash, and when the light dimmed, it was shimmering like a diamond. All scratches, dents, and grime had disappeared and its body was highly reflective.

It rose up on two legs, stomping the floor hard enough to shake the house (yet surprisingly it didn't break the floorboards, leading Jethro to question what they were made of).

"An endless world of surprises, this wonderful world we live in," he said as he sat back down, scooping up a serving for himself. "What exactly is in those cookies, may I ask?"

Frita smiled. "Wouldn't you like to know? It's a special blend of berries and minerals made specifically for each Type of Pokemon. Those cookies were a mix of Steel and Psychic Type blends."

"Huh," Jethro muttered. "I don't suppose I could copy that recipe? I'm sure my Metagross would love them."

Frita winked at him. "If I shared my recipes then they wouldn't be my own special recipes, would they?"

Jethro sat still for several moments. "Fair point," he said as he proceeded to eat his bowl of soup.

"I imagine it would do wonders for my Bisharp," Valin said, stroking his beard. "And both our Lucarios," he added, turning to Elly. She merely nodded as she was currently slurping up noodles.

"Sure would make it a bit easier for my Pokemon back home," Jethro said, dropping a noodle and fishing for it again.

Frita winked at him. "Maybe I'll make some and sell em to ya!"

Jethro looked sideways and raised an eyebrow. "You'd think either of us make enough to provide for quite some time, you especially, but…eh, I don't see why we couldn't do that," he said, sipping the soup again.

Fri pondered several seconds. "Actually with all that's happened, the League Council has cut my salary. Besides, most of the things I have, like my houses, were built by the League for the Grand Champion, not specifically me. If I ever get usurped, I'll be out of a home." She paused for a bit. "I suppose I could go back to Cinnabar. Arceus almighty I haven't been there in a long time…"

Jethro straightened up, his spoon dropping. "What!?" he sputtered. "They cut your salary? Why?"

Frita shrugged. "The League Council has always hated me. This just gave them the excuse they needed to take a cheap shot."

"Oh, now that's just bogus," Valin muttered, setting his glass down.

"I believed the correct term is biased," Elly pointed out, pounding her chest to get the noodles down that she almost choked on.

Frita just shrugged again. "It's not like I can fight them on this, unless I let Charlie loose on them." This elicited a smile from both her and Steven as she slurped up the last of her noodles.

"Yeah, that just sets your banishment in stone," Valin said.

"Or," Jethro said, raising a finger and looking at his friends, "unless one or all of us actually became members of said Council."

Valin and Elly looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"You're kidding, right?" Elly asked. "You have any idea how boring that would be?"

"It'd do a lot more good," Jethro argued.

"Yes, and yet we'd be limited as far as continuing to do what we do now," Valin countered. Jethro opened his mouth to say something, but closed it in defeat.

"Goodshow wouldn't protest though." Steven mused. His voice was soft and cracked a little when he spoke. Elly looked at him with a sympathetic expression.

"Maybe I'll talk to him after we get done with the Sinister Division," Jethro said as he lifted the bowl and gulped the rest of the soup down. "But, before we get even to that, I think we deserve some good R&amp;R. Give all of us some time to recuperate."


	24. Chapter 24: A Long-Needed Vacation

The next day, the whole group had gone around the city, just to look around and explore the area. Valin and Frita showed the group to the Gym, as a bit of a scouting errand. Jethro was up for a challenge, but lo and behold, the Leader wasn't there. "Typical," Jethro had mused.

After that, they had visited one of the shops in town. Jethro bought a dark grey light jacket with blue borders, while Elly got a purple jacket with black borders. Valin went with a green-with-black jacket. They also got new pairs of shoes.

The restaurant they visited had exquisite foods and taste, and they actually had to sit at their table and chat for a while to let the food settle in. Jethro had actually dozed off for a few minutes at one point.

Frita was all smiles, and though he was quiet, Steven was smiling too. For once, Jethro and company actually got to know what it was like when Frita was soundless as she had finally started to relax. She was currently gazing up at the sky in a blissful sort of way.

She sucked in a breath and looked back down. "Hey…" Everyone turned to her. "Know what?"

"What?" Jethro asked, opening his eyes, amused and curious.

"We should have a race!" Frita winked at him, her eyes bright. Jethro sat up and leaned forward.

"I like the way you think!" he said, grinning. "Everyone against everyone, running down the beach?"

Frita shook her head. "Nah, that's too easy. We should race through town instead! Make it interesting!" She pulled out a map of the city and began to draw on it with a marker.

"How's this?" She held the map up. Clearly marked on it were a start and finish line along with a path that wound through Anistar past all the important landmarks, particularly the Sundial Plaza.

Jethro observed the map and stroked his goatee. "Hmm… twists and turns… gonna have to avoid pedestrians… sounds like fun to me!"

Frita grinned and stood, walking away from the table. "Well then...3,2,1, GO!" She took off without warning throwing Pokeballs left and right until all of her Pokémon were loose and causing a ruckus at the table she left behind. Everyone bolted after her, all but Steven, who slowly lifted himself from his chair. He followed casually, his Metagross, Aggron and Carbink, and Frita's Camerupt walking with him.

"Frita!" Jethro shouted after her, laughing as he released his Pokémon. Burner hit the ground sprinting, breezing right past his Trainer and leaping high into the sky as Garchomp ran with its arms behind it, leaping up into the air and flying behind it. Rayquaza slithered through the air, spiraling up and waiting for the others to near the finish line. Tyranitar ran beside Jethro, its speed not quite as prominent. Torterra was even slower, though its effort to keep up was quite admirable as the ground shook underneath it. Metagross levitated ahead, banking hard as it turned a corner.

Valin's Latios nearly knocked them all off their feet as it whooshed by, with Zapdos hot on its tail. His Garchomp followed close behind Jethro's, while Bisharp and Scolipede ran as fast as they could beside their Trainer.

Elly's and Valin's Lucario ran side by side, matching their speeds the entire way. Elly's Squirtle and Pikachu rode on her shoulders, bouncing along with her.

Steven sighed to himself, rubbing Aggron on its bottom jaw. "They're all so energetic," he mused, smiling. He walked after the racers, apologizing to anyone who was knocked down or disturbed. Several cameras had been whipped out, which he smiled and waved at as they turned to him. Thankfully, no one came close out of their fear of his Aggron.

Frita leapt over carts and boxes, a small breeze just behind her. Archaic had been in the front for quite some time. The two Lucario had surpassed her at the Sundial, but the rest of them had merely managed to catch up. Just as Archaic was coming up to the finish line, Latios soared right by it. Rayquaza made third place, barely managing to catch up to Archaic as it used Extremespeed. Zapdos was in fourth, and the two Lucario tied for fifth. Frita came bounding up to the finish, with Steven's Skarmory and Aerodactyl, both Metagross hovering by, and then the rest following suit. Jethro and the others collapsed on the sand near Frita's house, panting and laughing at the same time. Jethro rolled over and returned his Pokémon, with Valin and Elly following suit. They caught their breaths just as Steven caught up to them, his Carbink balancing delicately on his shoulder.

"Dead last," Elly panted, smiling.

"_Oh yeah? You try being hit by the tail of an overgrown Charizard and then attacked by a giant bacon bird of death and running at top speed!" _the Carbink shouted at her.

Elly looked to Jethro. "What did it say?"

"Try running with his sore body," Jethro replied.

"Fair point…" She looked at the horizon, where the sun began to set. "I can see why you picked this place for a villa, Frita," she said. "It's gorgeous!"

"Yeah, it's a nice place for eating outside," the redhead said, stretching. "Speaking of eating, who's hungry? I'll make dinner."

* * *

Just before dinner was served, there was a knock on the door.

"I got it!" Valin announced, opening the front door and stepping back. "Hello. Can I help you?"

"Well, you can open the door wider so I can come in for starters!" A thin and rather lanky man strode in past Valin, his bright blue eyes looking irritated. His left eye had a beauty mark underneath it. He had shaggy black hair that matched his entire outfit, from his T-shirt to his pants to his boots with electric blue trim to his black jacket with electric blue faux fur trim. The only things that diverted from the whole of black were the dark red biker gloves. A silver chain hung from one of the loops on his belt and attached to another one around his waist. A silver music note charm hung from it.

Valin looked at the newcomer with a raised eyebrow and closed the door. "Um, Frita?" he called. "You have a visitor!"

"Who she should have invited a few days ago so I could properly meet everyone!" the man snapped. There was an audible groan from the kitchen.

"Yes, hello, Keith," she called. Jethro was resting at the table with his eyes closed. They flew open as soon as he heard the man's voice. He turned to the newcomer and stood, striding over to give the man a hug.

"Keith, my man!" he said heartily, clapping the man on the back. "How's the music business going?"

"Jethro! I didn't know you were here!" Keith said gleefully. "Music's going well, how've you been? You still seeing that pretty little girl from back home?"

"I'm doing fine, and yes, Felicia and I are still dating."

"Long distance troubles?"

"A few here and there, but we're sticking through it."

"That's good." Keith turned to the others. "I'm sorry, I'm Keith," he said, extending a hand to Elly. "I'm an old friend of Frita's."

"Pleasure to meet you," Elly said, shaking his hand. "I'm Elly."

"I'm Valin. We're with Jethro; I'm his cousin." The taller man in green held his hand out and shook Keith's.

"And I would have invited him here had I not been through a crap load of ordeals that have basically thrown me onto an emotional roller coaster!" Frita shouted indignantly as she placed dinner on the table. "But since you're here now…"

"Oh, will you quit being so mean!" Keith whined, putting his hands on his hips. "Seriously!"

"Oh yeah, forgot they did this on normal occasions," Jethro mumbled as he rubbed his hand down his face.

* * *

After dinner, as the sun's glow reflected off of the clouds in gorgeous shades of orange, pink, and purple, just about everyone had fallen asleep. Frita looked around at them and smiled to herself. She noticed Steven was still awake, sitting in the recliner and slowly rocking back and forth. She tiptoed over, sneaking behind him and draping her arms down, nuzzling her chin on his head.

Steven let out a sigh. "Hi there."

"Hi," Frita replied, giggling a little. "We should go for a walk."

"A walk? Now?" Steven asked, sighing. "I'm not sure I feel good enough for one."

"Come on," Frita persisted.

"I'm still sore," Steven said.

"Please?"

"It's already getting pretty late."

"Come ooonnnn."

After a few minutes of pestering, Steven finally gave up. Frita helped him out of the chair and walked out the front door, softly clicking it shut behind them.

Jethro woke with a slight jump as the door shut. He yawned, stretched, and looked around. From where he lay on the couch, he could see Valin, Elly, and Keith… but no Steven or Frita. He propped himself up on his elbows and looked at the door. He caught a glimpse of fiery red hair and cool steel blue hair.

"Out for a walk, I guess," Jethro mumbled to himself. He yawned again and swung his legs to the floor, quietly standing and moving to the back, sliding the door silently shut behind him. He stretched and leaned against the railing, admiring the sunset as the last of it began lowering beneath the horizon.

"Psst! Jethro!"

The Wandering Hero jumped about five inches, lowering his head and chuckling as he saw Wallace just outside the fence. He must've arrived a short while ago.

"Wallace, for the love of Arceus, don't do that!" he said, catching his breath. "Gonna make my heart leap out of my chest and make a hundred-yard dash!"

"Never mind that, come on!" the Gym Leader whispered harshly, motioning for the other Trainer to follow him. "We gotta hurry to catch up to them!"

"Catch up to- oh, Frita and Steven?" Jethro straightened up and turned to head back in. "Yeah, sure, just let me get my boots."

He met the eager Gym Leader outside. He seemed like he had to make a restroom break. "You okay?"

"Come oonnn!" Wallace persisted, grabbing Jethro by the arm and pulling him along. Eventually he managed to get his wrist free and jogged next to Wallace on their way to the Sundial. "What's this about, anyway? They going to make a discovery, or…?"

"I just wanna wait and see what happens," Wallace said, winking. Jethro looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He shook his head. What was this goof up to now?

The two of them crept along the bridge to the Sundial Plaza, stopping just shy of the edges of a clump of decorative bushes. Steven and Frita were standing and marveling at the Sundial. The last bit orange sunlight touched the Sundial as they turned to face each other. What was surprising was that they hadn't really paid much attention to the Pokémon behind them. Jethro looked at them and then their Trainers.

He suddenly knew why Wallace wanted him to tag along.

Slyly and cheekily, Sweetpea and Metagross bumped their Trainers into each other, causing their lips to meet. Jethro had to stifle a squeal by squishing his cheeks together.

The two parted and whirled around, Steven glaring at his happy-faced Metagross. "You're welcome!" it said. It nudged him and he swatted at it.

"Metagross, stop it!' he hissed, his face bright red. Frita on the other hand, had flung her Sneasel into a bush as punishment. She turned back to Steven, about to apologize when their eyes met again. She flushed heavily. That was the first time Jethro had ever seen her blush, as far as he knew! Steven couldn't help but blush again himself. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly and Frita fidgeted a little.

"Oh, come on, you two, kiss each other intentionally this time!" Jethro whispered. "Once more… but with feeling!"

As if on cue, Steven lurched forward and grabbed Frita, whose surprise was more than clear, and pulled her to him. He kissed her passionately, and after a few seconds, she melted into the kiss, her eyes sliding slowly closed.

Jethro could hardly contain himself. "YES!" he cheered quietly. Wallace smirked triumphantly and stood up, walking towards them. Jethro darted out to try and catch him, but the Gym Leader was as fluid as the water itself. He turned to face the younger man and snickered as he jogged backward. He turned around and walked to the end of the plaza and let out a low whistle, immediately catching Steven's attention, causing him to break the kiss. Jethro's hand came up and smacked his face. "Wallace, you moron," he muttered.

Frita flushed deeply and looked like she wanted to crawl in a hole and die.

"Wallace, you son of a Bidoof!" Steven hollered. He turned and pounded across the plaza at Wallace, who snickered like a schoolkid and ran at a full sprint across the bridge. They flew right past Jethro and nearly flung him over the railing and into the ocean below. Frita jogged up and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him back as Steven caught up to and tackled Wallace to the ground.

"They're acting like little girls." Jethro mumbled, grinning like an idiot as they fought and tumbled on the ground.

Frita laughed heartily. "They always do. They always do…" She turned toward the ocean. It was growing dark now. Steven and Wallace were still fighting, and she walked over and pulled them apart, setting them down and smacking them on the back of their heads. "Stop it!" she shouted, trying to sound angry. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't hide her smile.

As the four of them began to walk away, Frita stopped, punching Wallace in the arm.

"OW! That hurt you know!" he whined.

Frita looked at him. "Good! It was supposed to! That's for ruining the moment you jerk!" she shouted back. Steven snickered, putting an arm around her, and Wallace whined a little while Jethro just shook his head and laughed. The four of them headed back to Frita's house.

* * *

The next morning, Jethro, Valin, and Elly bade them farewell.

"Well, sorry to have to just up and leave like this, but I just gotta explore more of this region and learn more about Mega Evolution!" Jethro said. Valin and Elly rolled their eyes. Elly looked to Frita and mouthed "You know how he is."

Frita giggled and nodded. "Well it was good to see you again," she said. They hugged. "I'm trusting you with this Sinister Division stuff for now. Call me if you need me." She winked and Jethro laughed, patting her back. The three of them waved as they hopped on Rayquaza's back, shouting their farewells as they took off, flying into the sky at high speeds toward their next destination; the Sinister Division's headquarters.


End file.
